Just like him
by parsda
Summary: A distraction job causes a riff between Stephanie and Ranger. - a few text updates to the first chapter so chapter 1 posted again. Not sure where this story is headed, but I've gotten tired of the sappy stories and wanted to try something else. I will always be a Babe, but still have a thing for Lester! :)
1. Chapter 1

Lester looked up from his desk when he heard the thunk of something being thrown against the office door. Ranger was back from the bar where a distraction job with Stephanie from tonight went south, quickly. Steph was supposed to lure the skip outside the bar, but he recognized her from her latest newspaper photo and with an arm around her neck, tried to drag her out the back door. Luckily, they had the back door covered and were able to contain the situation.

However, Steph had a few marks on her from the skip and when Ranger saw the marks, he flipped out and started screaming at her. She reached up, slapped him across the cheek and looked up at him, with tears in her eyes, and very quietly said, "I thought you cared about me and didn't think you would act like Morelli. You are being just like him."

She then looked at Lester and asked him to give her a ride back to RangeMan to pick up her car. "Sure beautiful, let me get Bobby since he has the keys. He'll probably want to look you over to make sure you're okay." Ranger looked at him, but said nothing. He was still standing in the same spot as before, holding a hand to his cheek, just looking at Steph. She looked at him and sadly shook her head and walked towards the car. When the car pulled away, a glance in the rear view mirror showed that Ranger hadn't moved.

Stephanie didn't say anything on the drive back and when they pulled into the garage, Bobby led her upstairs to check her over. Once he was satisfied she was okay, he pulled a sucker out of his desk drawer and gave it to her. "You'll be okay Steph. Why don't you go home and get some rest? I'll see you when you come to work tomorrow, okay? Let me know if you have any problems, okay?" Steph didn't say anything, just set the sucker down on the exam table and walked out and headed to the elevator.

As soon as the elevator door shut, Bobby was on the phone to Lester and had him intercept her in the garage. Lester caught up with her before she got into her car, gently took the keys out of her hand and guided her into the passenger seat. He buckled her in and drove her to her apartment. Walking her upstairs with an arm around her waist, she leaned into him and the tears starting silently coming down her face.

Lester got her inside and took her into her room, got her changed into pajamas and put her to bed. He sat in the chair besides her bed and she looked at him. "Get that chair out of here, please."

"Sure beautiful. I'll be right back." Les pulled the chair out into the hallway and returned. Steph was still just lying there with the tears still flowing. Lester kicked off his shoes, went to the other side of the bed, dropping his gun and phone on the bedside table, and got into bed beside Steph. He pulled her into his arms and she started to sob.

Les stayed quiet and just held her, stroking her hair while she cried it out. Eventually, her sobs settled down and he realized she had fallen asleep. He kept a hold of her for a bit and relaxed into her bed. Once he felt her shift into her pillows, he pulled his arm from under her and reached for his phone. He sent Bobby a text and told him he was going to stay with Steph and would see him in the morning. Bobby sent back a text that told him Tank had to get Ranger to stop throwing things in office and he held him down while Bobby gave him a shot to calm him down. Tank was taking him upstairs to get his hand x-rayed. They think he punched the wall and broke his hand.

He put his phone down and turned back to check on Steph. She rolled over and wrapped about half of her body across his. He brushed her hair away from her face and gave her a gentle kiss before closing his eyes and falling asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

When Steph woke up the next morning, she rolled over and saw a plate with donuts and a thermal container of coffee sitting on the bedside table. There was a short note that made her laugh when she read it. "Beautiful, thanks for a wonderful night in bed together. Under different circumstances, we would have had fun, especially when you got all hands-y early this morning while still asleep! Eat, drink and shower. I'll see you later on at the office. Be sure to be wearing a smile and clothes, but you can leave off the clothes if you want, we won't mind. Love you like no other, Lester."

Steph put the note down and grabbed one of the donuts. Munching on the donut, she thought back to what happened last night. She couldn't believe how Ranger yelled at her. He was the one person in her life that she thought understood her and now, he was acting just like Morelli. Morelli had long been out of her life, but all of the bad times she had with him were coming back to her. She sat and ate the rest of the donuts and drank the coughing before giving herself a pep talk. "Buck up Steph, you don't need people in your life who yell at you and belittle you. You are better than that."

Steph got up, took a quick shower and headed out the door for work. Everything on the drive went well, until she parked in the garage at RangeMan. At that point, she started to shake and tears started flowing down her face again. She dug thru her purse, looking for her phone. She was going to text Lester and tell him that she was going to go home and find a new job. Before she found her phone, her car door was being pulled open and Lester reached in and pulled her out of the car.

"Beautiful, are you coming inside or going to sit in your car all day?" He looked her over and saw the tears.

"Les, I can't do this, I can't see him today. "

"He's staying up on 7 today. He broke his hand and Bobby has him pretty well drugged up so you won't be seeing him today, unless you go to 7."

"I don't think I can see the guys after what happened."

"Do you really think the guys accept the way Ranger talked to you last night? He already has a list of appointments on the mats with most of the guys. The first rule of RangeMan is to take care of your brothers, well sister, in this case. They can't wait to see you and will probably spend most of the day checking on you and showering you with their love. Let's go upstairs. If you can't deal with it, then you can go home."

Lester pulled her bag out the car and locked it before walking her to the elevator. They got in and rode up to the control room. When the doors opened, there was a line of RangeMen that were waiting for her. She stepped out and was grabbed immediately by Hector. He hugged her, kissed her cheek, murmured something in Spanish to her and passed her off down the line. By the time she got to the last RangeMan, she was openly crying. The last set of arms that grabbed her belonged to Tank. He hugged her and pulled her into his office. He shut the door and pulled her into his lap, sitting in the chair behind his desk.

"Little girl, I can't imagine how you feel today. You are safe here with us, even if one of us is acting like a jackass right now. He's going to be dealt with, regardless of who he is." He reached up and wiped the tears off her of cheeks. He ruffled her hair and stood up. "I think your inbox is full, the guys want to make sure you have plenty of work today so you don't go home early. Best get out there and get started. Remember, I am always here for you."

Steph sat down at her desk and groaned at the overflowing inbox. She pulled the first file out and started the search. The rest of the morning went okay, with the guys stopping by to drop off a cup of coffee or giving her a quick hug and smile. When lunchtime rolled around, she headed to the break room and sat down with a sandwich and bottle of water. She was sitting with her back to the door so she didn't see Ranger standing in the doorway staring at her. He started to walk in but was pulled back into the hallway by a pair of big hands.

"Carlos, do not go in there. You need to give her time and you need to get yourself together. What you did last night was unacceptable. You need to back upstairs and stay there. I'll put a man on your door if needed."

"Tank, I need to apologize and talk to her."

"Not today. She's barely holding it together today. Go upstairs and I'll send Bobby up to check you over and see how your hand is doing."

With that being said, he pushed Ranger to the elevator and took him back up to his apartment. He called Bobby and got him upstairs and he held Ranger down while Bobby gave him a shot of pain medicine. The dumped him in his bed and went to sit out on the couch.

"What is going on with him? Did something happen on his last government job that we don't know about? He's been acting off since he got back last month but I wrote it off as exhaustion after the trip. Physically, he came back okay. Yelling at Steph last night was so out of character. She's always been the first one he goes to when he gets back; she brings him back to reality.", said Bobby.

"I don't know, but I'll go make some calls and see what I can find out. He knew as soon as he got done yelling last night that it was wrong. Did you see how he just stood there and stared after Steph slapped him? It was like he was stuck to the ground and couldn't move. He didn't even try to go after Lester and you when you drove off with her.", replied Tank.

"The part that kills me is when she told him he was acting just like Morelli. He didn't say anything to her at that point and just stood there. She must be feeling like no one is on her side. Ranger has always the first person to give Steph positive remarks, even when she royally screwed up. He should sleep for the rest of the afternoon, so I'll go back downstairs and make sure Stephanie leaves on time so there is no chance they run into each other."

Bobby left and went downstairs. He talked to Lester and they decided Lester would make sure she left on time and would show up at her apartment with pizza and beer about an hour after she gets home. Lester needed to get her to talk about what went on with Ranger after he got home from this last government job. Something was wrong with the boss and he was determined to find out.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Stephanie had just gotten home and kicked off her shoes when there was a knock at the door. The guys would have been proud of her because she grabbed her gun and looked out the peephole before unlocking and opening the door. Lester walked into her apartment with a pizza box and a 6 pack of beer. He walked into the living room and dropped everything on the coffee table. Steph just stood and watch him, let out a big sigh, and then closed and locked the door. She walked over and sat down on the couch.

"Make yourself at home Lester. Did I see enough of you today at work?"

"Beautiful, you know you love me and seeing me tonight is just a bonus to your day. It's good to see you are serious about your safety, but you can put the gun away now." He grabbed a bottle of beer, popped the top off and handed it to her. "Tonight is pizza, beer and movie night. No worries, no troubles, no thinking about anything, just indulge and we'll work it off in the gym tomorrow morning."

Steph put her gun back in the cookie jar and sat back down next to him. "If you think I'm going willingly into the gym at RangeMan with all of the guys there, you're crazy."

"Shush, just eat and drink."

He ended staying the night again in her apartment. He picked her up after she fell asleep on the couch watching a movie and carried her to her bed. He covered her up and bent down and dropped a kiss on her cheek. Stretching out on the couch, he soon fell asleep and slept peacefully until he heard the locks on the door being tumbled. Grabbing his gun, he moved silently to the door and looked out the peephole.

"Son of a bitch", he thought. He quietly turned the locks and yanked the door opened. Before the other person could blink, he had the man by the shirt collar and pushed out into the hallway.

"What are you doing here? Haven't you caused her enough grief? Jesus Christ Ranger, can't you just leave her alone?"

"I need to talk to her, I need to apologize."

"Not tonight, she's finally sleeping peacefully and I'm not going to have you disturb her. You've done enough damage. What the fuck is wrong with you? How could you yell at her like that? It wasn't her fault that the skip knew who she was. We handled the situation, that's why we take backup and have more than one plan in place. You turned into Morelli and went ballistic on her. She's right, you are just like him."

Ranger just stood and listened to it all. He looked so sad and broken, and started to walk away. He looked back at Lester and said, "Just tell him I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to happen."

Lester watched him walk away and quietly opened the apartment door. He walked in and found Stephanie standing in the living room. She looked at him and he saw that she had tears running down his face. "What's going on with him? Why can't he see how much he hurt me?"

"Steph, we don't know what's going on with him, but he's not right since he came back about a month ago. We were going to talk to you tomorrow, but since you're up, let me get Tank and Bobby over here."

He placed a quick call to Tank and within 10 minutes, there was a knock at the door. Lester grabbed his gun and headed to the door. Steph got up and moved into the kitchen to get her gun and by the time she came back out, Tank and Bobby were sitting on her couch. They had brought a box of donuts and were currently diving them up between the four of them. Steph sat down and put her gun on the coffee table. She looked at them and sighed. She knew there would be no more sleep tonight.

"Heard you had a visitor tonight, little girl."

"Yep, thankfully Lester was still here. I didn't hear the door being worked on and he would have just come right in. "

"Are you scared of him Steph?" Bobby asked, while munching on a donut.

"No, I'm not scared of him. I just know how easily I lose all control when he's in the room. I would have just forgiven him and let him stay."

"When he came back last month, did he come over to see you? We know that you are usually his first stop when he gets back into town." Lester asked her.

Steph took a bite of her donut and looked at the guys. "When he came back that night, I could tell something was different but just blew it off as he was exhausted. He's always so tired when he gets back and most of the time he sleeps here for a couple days before he heads back to RangeMan. This time, he came in during the night and instead of getting into bed with me, he just sat in a chair and watched me sleep. I woke up a few times briefly and saw him just sitting there. I tried to get him to lay down, but he wouldn't do it. Later on that morning, once I got up for the day, he sat here on the couch and didn't say much. Every so often he would get up and walk around, checking out the windows and making sure the doors and windows were locked. It's like he was waiting for trouble to show up."

"Well, Beautiful, you do attract trouble." Said Lester. Bobby reached over and smacked him on the back of the head.

Steph got up and made a pot of coffee and brought it and 4 mugs out to the couch. The guys were talking amongst themselves. She looked at them and said, "Something went wrong on that trip, didn't it?"

"Steph, we've got calls out to our contacts that would be privy to that information. Hopefully we hear back soon so we can figure it out. I'll work on Ranger and try to get him to talk about what happened", said Bobby.

"We think for now, you should work from home so you don't run into him alone. We don't think he'll hurt you, but something isn't right and until we figure it out, it's best you're not running that risk. We'll have Hector bring you a computer over later with some work to do", Tank said.

"Guys, thanks for everything. Something is definitely wrong with him and I it broke me to hear him yell like Morelli. I think I could fall apart if Ranger ends up just like him."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Stephanie ended up staying home the rest of the week, working on the laptop that Hector had brought over for her. Lester came over each morning and brought her a new stack of work and picked up what she had finished the previous day. He always called to check on her before she went to bed each night, but never came back over to sleep on her couch again.

Tank had Ranger on lock-down in the building and made sure he didn't leave during the night to go to Stephanie's apartment. He had one guy posted at the apartment door each night. Ranger wasn't pleased, but once Tank told him that he had talked to Steph and she was okay, Ranger calmed down. Tank talked to Bobby again and neither one had been successful in finding out what happened on this last job Ranger did for the government. Lester still hadn't heard back from his contact so maybe that would turn up the information they were looking for.

Bobby had been talking with some of his medical colleagues and found someone who was willing to come in and talk to Ranger. Now, the hard part… getting Ranger to agree to the meeting. At least Bobby had Tank and Lester to back him up. He met up with the two guys outside Ranger's apartment. They had Cal standing guard outside the apartment door. They knocked and Ranger opened the door and let them inside.

"Ranger, take a seat, we have something we need to talk to you about", said Lester. Ranger sat down on one of the couches and Tank and Bobby sat on the other. Lester stayed standing and started pacing in front of the couches. "Ranger, you need help. We don't know what happened on your last job, but something has created a big problem for you. You have become very short tempered and a real pain in the ass around here. We can deal with your moods around here, but the way you treated Steph the other night was inexcusable. What the hell is wrong with you? You were the one person in her life that gave a damn about what she wanted and treated her with respect, but that night, you turned into Morelli and she felt like the one person she could count on was no longer on her side."

"Lester, I can't go into detail about the job, you know that from other jobs that you've been a part of in the past. We completed the objective, but things were so messed up the entire time, I'm surprised we all made it out of there alive. I don't know what's going on with me and I am ashamed of myself for treating Stephanie that way. I need to talk to her and explain, but she won't answer when I call or text."

Bobby looked at Ranger, really looked at him and tried to come up with the words for what he wanted to say. Ranger was sitting there, bent over at the waist and was running his hands through his hair. He looked like he was on the verge of a breakdown. "Ranger, I'd like you to talk to someone who can help you sort out what's going on in your head. I can only assume you want to get this figured out, but I need to know that whoever I can find to come talk to you, you will be honest with them and actually go along with their treatment plan. Right now, you are a threat to Stephanie and we can't allow you to have contact with her. She's afraid of you."

Tank sat looking at Ranger, without saying anything. Ranger looked up and saw him staring and felt ashamed at the way Tank was looking at him. "Carlos, you need our help, the company can't have you acting like this, and we'll start losing clients."

Ranger sat and looked at all three of the guys. "I know I need help. I knew as soon as I got done yelling at Steph that something was wrong with me. I don't know where to start or what to do, but I can't lose Steph. She's the best thing that ever happened to me and I can't lose her. The job was a mess and I feel like something happened to me over there to make me this way, but I don't know what it was, I can't remember."

Tank saw that there were tears in Ranger's eyes and then glanced at Lester and Bobby. Lester was texting on his phone, probably to Steph. He had promised he'd keep her updated on Ranger. Bobby was also texting and Tank thought it was probably to the person he found that they hoped would help Ranger. "Bobby?" Tank asked.

"Ok, it's set. Ranger, the doctor will be here in the morning to start working with you. I beg you to please be honest with him. He's one of the best in business and won't waste his time if he feels you aren't being honest. We'll set him up on the 4th floor and he will come up here as much as needed. The guys will just be told that he's here to observe and that's all they will know. We will make sure he's seen on the floor and control room so it looks like he's watching everyone. The guys will also be told that you are on an extended leave due to a complication that came up during your last trip. They will understand and leave you alone. Tank can handle the day to day business end of things and Les and I will help where needed. Do you have any questions?"

"I need to talk to Steph. I need to apologize to her for what I said and did to her that night."

"Ranger, we won't let you talk to her until the doctor approves it. If you want to write her a note, we will deliver it to her. I can't promise that she'll read it, but we will take it to her.", said Lester.

Without saying anything else, Ranger headed for the office he kept in the apartment and pulled out a piece of paper and pen. He started writing and the guys just sat down and waited. After about an hour, and judging by the multiple crumpled sheets of paper on the floor, he finally had written the note. He put it in a sealed envelope and gave it to Lester. "Please make sure she gets it, tonight if possible."

Lester took the envelope, said goodnight to the guys, and headed out the door. He got in his car and headed to Steph's apartment, stopping for pizza and beer along the way. He knocked on her door, and could hear her inside getting her gun out of the cookie jar and walking to the door. He heard the peephole cover slide and gave her the goofiest grin he could manage. He heard her laughing and she opened the door. He pulled her in for a hug and she snatched the pizza box out of his hands.

"Les, I wasn't expecting anyone to show up tonight. Not that I don't like the company, and the food, but what's going on?"

"Beautiful, we had a talk with Ranger tonight and he agreed to see the therapist that Bobby found. The doc will arrive tomorrow and will stay as long as needed."

"Les, that's good news. I'll be glad if things get to where I can come into the office again. I'm getting a little stir crazy being inside all day."

Lester pulled the envelope out of his pocket and held it out to her. "Ranger wrote this for you and I said I'd deliver it. I didn't promise him that you'd read it, but I said I'd bring it to you."

Steph looked at him and took the envelope. Her hands shook a bit when she tried to open it, but eventually she pulled out the folded paper. Les pushed her to sit down on the couch and sat next to her. "Honey, you don't have to read it. I think it helped him to write it down though and I know it wasn't easy, because by the time he was done, there were about 20 rejected versions crumpled up on the floor. Do you want me to stay tonight?"

"Les, I need to read this, but I'm not sure what to expect. He was always the one that was there as my rock, regardless of how much I screwed up." Then she opened the piece of paper and started reading.

 _Babe,_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Note - sorry for the cliffhanger from Chapter 4. I honestly didn't know what the letter was going to say until now. It's been running through my head for the past couple days. Also, sorry for the shortness of the chapter, but I felt it only should be the letter. Thanks for all of the encouraging comments, I'll write faster, I promise!

 _Babe,_

 _It's taken me a few attempts to get this letter written so Lester can give it you. I'm having a hard time putting into words what I need to tell you._

 _I need so much to apologize to you for how I acted the other night. I had no right to yell at you as I did that night. I am so glad that you were not physically hurt that night. I have not been in my right state of mind since I returned from this last job. I have been yelling at everyone here, not just you. No one deserves this and I need to find out what's going on with me._

 _Bobby has arranged for a doctor to come in to work with me and figure out why I'm acting this way and how we can correct it. Something happened on that trip that I can't remember, but it's causing me to be this way. I know I'm not a perfect person, no one is, but I need to change from the man I am right now. The job was completed, but everything went wrong the entire time I was there. I can't go into details with you because it's classified, but my mind is blocking something that is causing these problems for me._

 _I want to ask you to keep working for RangeMan and to come back to the office, if you feel comfortable enough to do so. I won't be out of my apartment until the doctor says I can do so. Tank and the guys are taking over the day to day business so I can concentrate on fixing myself. The guys need to see you each day or they get cranky. Don't tell them I said that, but Lester is the worst! You have changed this company for the better and I don't want to keep you apart from them._

 _They are not allowing me to use my phone to call or text you until the doctor feels that I am able to treat you the way you deserve. I am going to ask if I can email you though. If you are willing to read my emails and respond if you feel like it, I would appreciate it. I can't imagine going for too long without talking to you, even if it is by email._

 _I don't want to lose you Babe. I love you more than life itself and I know I don't deserve you. I need to fix myself so we can start a life together. I want to spend the rest of my life with you and marry you Babe, and start our own family, but not until I'm fixed._

 _What you said to me the other night has stuck with me and I can't get it out of my head. I don't want to be just like him, I want to be the Carlos that you love._

 _Love for always,_

 _Carlos_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Lester was silent the entire time Steph was reading and when she looked up at him, his heart broke. She had tears running down her cheeks and her hands were shaking. He moved over to her and picked her up and held her in his lap. He let her cry until she couldn't cry anymore.

"Stephanie? Are you okay?"

"I must look like crap if you are calling me Stephanie instead of Beautiful. He loves me Lester. He said he really loves me and wants to marry me. He wants to get help and figure out why he's acting this way. He loves me."

"Everyone knows he loves you, it just took him a long time to figure it out for himself. We'll make sure he follows through with the doctor that's coming tomorrow and I will personally make sure you know what's going on each day. Will you please come back to work tomorrow? The guys all miss you and I'm tired of them complaining that you're not there each day."

"Les? Will you stay here tonight with me and if I write back to Ranger, will you give it to him?"

"Sure Beautiful, I'd love to sleep with you tonight!"

With that, Stephanie thumped Lester in the back of the head. "I'll just lock up and then head in for a shower. Feel free to watch tv or whatever."

Steph went over and made sure the door was locked and then checked on Rex. She gave him some crackers and water and then headed into the bathroom. She got in the shower and when she opened the bottle of shower gel that Ranger left behind and took a sniff, the tears started again. She slid down the wall and sat in the tub and cried. Lester could hear her sobs and knocked on the door.

"Hey, are you okay in there?" He couldn't her answers, he just heard her crying. He covered his eyes and opened the door. "Steph?"

Steph looked up at him and started laughing. He was standing in her bathroom with his hand over his eyes. His other hand was reaching out swiping at the air, trying to find her. "Lester, what are you doing?"

"I came in because I could hear you crying, but then when I was opening the door, I realized you would be naked and I knew if Ranger heard I saw you naked, he'd kill me."

"Give me a minute and I'll get out and meet you in my bedroom."

"A little help here, please?"

"Turn around and walk about 5 steps forward and you should be able to open your eyes. If you look in the bottom dresser drawer, there should be a pair of sweatpants that Ranger left here that you can put on to sleep in."

Lester managed to get out of the bathroom and found the sweats. He got changed, sent a quick text to Bobby and then got into Steph's bed.

She came out of the bathroom a few minutes later and had to cover her mouth so she wouldn't laugh out loud. Lester was sound asleep in her bed and had pulled the stuffed bear off her dresser and was curled up with it. She grabbed her phone, took a quick picture and sent it off to all of RangeMan. She climbed into bed and felt somewhat better. Ranger loved her and was going to get help. She fell asleep with a smile on her face for the first time in a long time.

Lester woke up first and found that Steph was curled up almost on top of him. He let out a quiet chuckle and then noticed that the stuffed bear was still in bed with them. He had pulled it off of her dresser and was going to suggest that she cuddle it when she went to sleep, but he must have fallen asleep before she came out of the bathroom. He reached over to the night table and opened his phone. He had 35 new text messages and wondered what was going on at work. He looked at the first one and about cried. It was the picture Steph took of him and he was cuddled up with that damned bear. The rest of the texts were from the guys, all giving him crap about the picture.

The last text was from Ranger. He almost dreaded opening it. Hector had put a block on Ranger's phone so he couldn't call or text Stephanie, but he must not have blocked incoming calls or texts from her phone to Ranger's because he got that damned photo. He decided to just open it and found that it said, "You have some explaining to do. I know that's Stephanie's bed and bear. I gave her that bear so I hope you didn't do anything perverse to it. Don't make me kill you."

He let out a big sigh and felt Stephanie start to wake up. She reached out and started stroking his stomach. His eyes bugged out and he pushed her hand away. She reached her hand back and started it again. He reached over and grabbed her hand. "Steph, Ranger is already going to kill me because of the picture you sent everyone and I'd rather not give him anything else to be upset about today."

Steph opened her eyes and let out a yelp. "God, I thought you were Ranger. What do you mean he's going to kill you?"

"You sent that picture to everyone at RangeMan, Ranger included. The guys all sent back texts giving me crap about the bear, but Ranger's reply was a little more threatening. I don't want him to find out that you felt me up in bed."

"I didn't feel you up. I was merely stretching my hand. Besides, Ranger doesn't need to know about this morning. How did he get my text? I thought Hector had me blocked on his phone."

"He must have just blocked him from contacting you, and not you contacting him. We should get up and get headed into work. You can get ready first; I need a few more minutes in bed before I get up." He waved his hand in the general area of his groin and she let out a small giggle. "It's morning and it happens. I just don't want you to see it."

She grabbed some clothes, went into the bathroom, shut the door and burst out laughing. Lester just groaned and lay in bed for a few minutes. When he heard Steph turn on the water, he got up and quickly got dressed. He headed out into the kitchen and started the coffee. There was a knock at the door and he went over and looked out the peephole. It was Bobby, holding a box from the bakery. Lester opened the door and said, "Not a word about the picture, got it?"

"Sure, whatever you say. Get me a cup of coffee and I'll share the donuts. Where's Steph?"

"She's still getting ready, but should be out soon. She read the letter from Ranger last night. Made her cry, but I think she feels better now. He told her he was going to get help and get this figured out. He also told her that he loves her and wants to marry her."

"Wow, that's a lot for Ranger to say at one time. Is she coming back to the office?"

Before Lester could answer, Steph walked into the kitchen. "Yes, I'll go into today if you give up the donuts."

They all laughed, ate all of the donuts and then headed out the door. Steph rode with Bobby and they had a laugh about the picture of Lester while they drove to work. Bobby told her that the guys were planning to do something to Les, but he didn't know what they had planned. They all got parked in the garage and headed into elevator. The guys explained to Steph while they were in the elevator about the doctor that was arriving in a few hours and how Ranger was not going to be let out of his apartment until the doctor said he could. And even then, they were going to keep him away from her, unless the doctor said otherwise.

The elevator doors opened and Bobby walked out first and promptly burst out laughing. The guys had decorated every bit of Lester's cubicle with teddy bears. Someone had even set up a baby mobile with teddy bears on it and had it hanging over the cubicle. Steph followed Bobby out and turn around to smirk at Lester. Les walked out and just stood there with his mouth hanging open. He turned to look at Steph and said, "This is your fault. I hate you." He stomped over to his cube and started moving bears out the way. He hit the mobile with his hand and it started playing a lullaby and moving around in a circle. The guys all started laughing at Lester.

Bobby pulled Steph away from Lester and said they should probably get to work. He walked her over to her cube and noticed that it was covered in donuts and flowers. The guys knew the way to show her how much they cared about her. She had a big smile on her face until she saw how full her inbox was and how much work they had left for her to do. She sat down and turned on her computer.

Before she knew it, it was almost lunch time. Lester stopped over and had almost all of the bears in a big garbage bag. "Steph, do you want to go to lunch?"

"Sure, you aren't going to throw those bears away, are you?"

"I don't want them, do you?"

"No, but I have an idea. Let's go."

They headed down to the garage and got into Lester's car. The bag of bears was in the back seat. "Where to, Beautiful?"

"Head to the hospital and park in the ER lot. I am texting a friend and you should be able to donate them to the children's floor. Kids in the hospital can always use a new friend."

They parked and got out of the car. Lester grabbed the bag of bears and followed Stephanie into the ER. Steph directed him into the elevator and they got off on the 5th floor, which was the children's floor. There was a squeal and then before he could blink, Stephanie was hugging someone. They finally pulled apart and Steph turned to Lester. "Les, this is Kelly. She was my roommate in college for a couple years and works here as a pediatrician. She said the kids would love the bears and would help you deliver them to the kids."

Lester turned to look at Kelly and was speechless. She was gorgeous and he lost all sense of what he was doing. Steph started laughing and made the introductions. "Apparently, Lester forgot how to talk, but Kelly, this is Lester Santos. We work together at RangeMan. He's retired military and is now a security wiz. Lester, you can speak now."

Lester looked at Steph and shook his head. "What? Oh sorry, it's nice to meet you Kelly. I've got a bag of bears for the kids. What should I do with them?"

Kelly looked between Stephanie and Lester and smiled. She thought Lester was very handsome and wanted to get to know him. She spent a lot of time at the hospital, but really appreciated a fine looking man. "Just follow me and I'll take you to see the kids. Steph, it was great to see you and I'll text you next week and hopefully we can get lunch."

"Lester, don't worry about me getting back to work. I've already texted Bobby and he's picking me up in a few minutes. Have fun with the kids."

"Yeah, sure, whatever. See you at work." Steph laughed and headed back to the elevator. She looked back at them and Lester was following Kelly down the hall like a puppy. They would be good together and hoped it worked out for them. They both are dedicated to their job, but both needed to have some fun.

Steph walked out of the ER and found Bobby pulling into the lot. "What happened to Lester?"

"He decided to donate the bears to the kids who are here and I think has fallen in love with a friend of mine who works here. We might see him back sometime today."

They both laughed all the way to lunch. They grabbed some sandwiches and headed back to RangeMan. Bobby told her that the doctor had arrived and was upstairs with Ranger. He would introduce her to the doctor when he got done with Ranger's session. He explained about the story they were telling the guys and thought that the doctor would want to talk to her as well.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Steph lost track of time during the afternoon. Some of the guys dropped by and said hello and welcomed her back in the office. She got about halfway through her inbox when Tank stopped by. He had been out of the office at a client meeting most of the morning, so he hadn't had a chance to see her. "Tank, good to see you." "Little girl, can you come into my office for a few minutes?" "Sure"

She followed him down the hall and into his office. She walked in and found Bobby and another man, who she assumed was the doctor. They both stood up when she entered the office and Bobby introduced her to the doctor. Dr. Benson was probably 20 years older than her and was short and rolly-polly. He was balding and had little wire framed glasses that sat on the bottom of his nose. It was all Steph could do to not laugh at him. He shook her hand and motioned for her to sit down.

"Robert tells me that you are close to Mr. Manoso. If you don't object, I would like to talk to you alone at some point and if these sessions progress as I hope they do, I'd like to meet with you and Mr. Manoso at the same time."

Steph seemed surprised by that, but said, "Sure, whatever I can do to get Ranger back to how he was before this last trip. I should get back to work now. It was nice to meet you Dr. Benson." She left Tank's office and headed back to her desk. She groaned at the size of her inbox but decided to see if she could write a response to Ranger. After about 10 minutes of just sitting there, staring at his empty office, she picked up a piece of paper and pen and started writing.

 _Carlos,_

 _Thank you for your letter. Lester brought it over to me last night and was there when I read it. I'm glad he was there and was able to stay with me. The photo I took was an added bonus to the night._

 _I am so very worried about you. This last trip has changed you and it's not for the good. You have turned into a mean and angry man. I don't like this man and hope to never speak to him again. I want to get the real Ranger back, the Ranger that I love and want to spend my life with. Yes, I do love you, even though I've never said it before. Loving someone is hard for me. I've had too much heartbreak and can't just give my heart to anyone. They have to earn the right to it._

 _I spent the morning here working at the never ending inbox of searches the guys left for me. There was one humorous part of the day so far, the guys left Lester's desk covered in teddy bears. I'll text you the photo later today. I took Lester to the hospital at lunch and introduced him to my college roommate who is a pediatrician there and she was going to help him deliver the bears to the kids who are patients there right now. I think Lester fell in love with Kelly and I haven't seen him come back yet today. He better not be a pervert to her, she's one of my oldest and best friends._

 _I met Dr. Benson a little bit ago. It was all I could do not to laugh at him, he looks like the little old man that used to work at the library at my high school, all rolly-polly and balding. He seems like a nice man and hope that he can help you. I want you to get this all figured out, I need you to get it figured out. I need you Carlos and I hope you need me too._

 _I will check with Dr. Benson soon to see if it's okay that we email when needed or if I can text you if I feel the need to "talk" to you. This letter is a first step and hope that you can understand how I feel. It's hard to put the words down on paper. All I want to do is grab you and give you a kiss._

 _With much love,_

 _Babe_

Steph folded the paper, wrote his name on the outside and walked over to Tank's office. No one was there and she looked around, but didn't see any of the core team. She stood for a minute and then decided to just deliver it herself. She got in the elevator and headed to the 7th floor. The elevator opened up and there stood Hal. He looked at her and she gave him a smile and wave.

"Steph, I'm not allowed to let you in the apartment."

"Hal, I don't want to go in, I just want to drop this note off for Ranger. I was going to give it to Tank, but he wasn't downstairs. Can you make sure Ranger gets it?"

"Sure, I'll take it in after you get back in the elevator and head back downstairs."

Steph handed the note to Hal and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. He blushed furiously but took the note and turned her around and pushed her into the elevator.

"Thanks Hal"

Hal waited until the elevator left and knocked on the door. Ranger opened it, looked at Hal, but didn't say anything. Hal held out the note and said, "Stephanie just dropped this off for you."

Ranger grabbed it and slammed the door. He walked over to the couch, sat down and opened the letter.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Ranger sat down on the couch and opened the note from Stephanie. He read it over and flopped his head back against the cushions. She loved him. "Maybe there is hope for me yet and I didn't blow my chance at happiness with her." he thought.

His first meeting with Dr. Benson went okay. Ranger wasn't an outgoing man so it was hard for him to just start talking. Dr. Benson has the clearance needed to hear about the mission, as well as having a copy of all of the debriefing meetings he attended when he got back to DC. Dr. Benson said he didn't want Ranger to read the reports; he wanted him to remember what happened on his own. "It's your road to recovery", the doctor had told him. Dr. Benson had him start talking about meeting Stephanie for the first time and what has transpired in the years that followed. He admitted to the doctor that he does love her and want to marry her someday, but knows he has a problem to get resolved before marriage can happen.

Talking with Dr. Benson about the early years of his relationship with Stephanie, _yes the doctor said it was a relationship even though they weren't technically a couple at that time_ , got Ranger thinking of some things that had happened with Stephanie that he had forgotten. The doctor agreed with the guy's decision to block his phone from calling or texting Steph. They did talk about the fact that she can text him and decided to keep that option open for now, unless it becomes too hard for Ranger. He thought the letter writing was a good start and they decided that Ranger would start a journal of his thoughts and memories from his trip to help find that missing piece and if he wanted, he could also start a journal for corresponding with Stephanie. The guys would be able to pass it back and forth between the Ranger and Stephanie, but only if she agreed. He would ask Bobby or Tank to talk to her later on and see if she agrees.

His phone pinged and he found the picture of Lester's desk covered in teddy bears. He gave a soft chuckle and sent it on to Lester's mother, who was his aunt. He also sent on the picture that Stephanie had sent from the previous night. Lester deserved whatever his mother was going to dish out about the photos. Sleeping with the bear he gave to Stephanie and sleeping in her bed. Hopefully he was smart enough to keep his hands to himself. He'd have to question Lester if he ever came back to work.

A knock at the door had him getting off the couch and walking to open it. It was Tank and he had a bag in his hand. "I come bearing gifts." he said. Ranger shut the door after Tank walked in and they went into the kitchen. Tank opened the fridge and took out a couple of beers. The work day was over for Tank and he felt he deserved the beer. He motioned for Ranger to sit down and then he pulled out two journals from the bag and a stack of file folders. "Doc said you'd need these journals and I decided you needed to help pull your weight around here instead of lounging around all day on the couch."

Ranger shook his head and said, "Thanks, I was beginning to get a little stir crazy, even though it's been two days. I need to get to the gym at some point. I can only run around the apartment so many times, I need the exercise equipment."

Tank looked at him and said, "I'll see what I can do. We've told the guys that you are recovering from a complication from your last trip, so if they see you in the gym, they will probably think you're rehabbing it. So far, no one has questioned Dr. Benson being on the floor. He spent a little bit this after on the floor and actually did make some suggestions. I sent you an email outline of what he said. "Heard you had a mail delivery earlier this afternoon. Watched the video feed too, she didn't try to come in and see you, just gave the note to Hal and left. I figure she'll try to sneak in at some point, even if you are an ass." Tank looked up at Ranger and quirked an eyebrow up at him.

"She loves me Tank. I can't believe after how I acted and spoke to her, that she still loves me. She wants me to work on fixing myself and needs me to get through this mess so we can be together. Please keep watching her. I know how she'll get after a few days working here fulltime. She'll need to get out of the building and try to catch a skip. Make sure someone goes with her when it happens. I can't let anything happen to her. Promise me Tank."

"Carlos, you should know that any of the guys here would lay down their life for her. We'll take care of her until you can do it yourself. I'll make sure she gets home tonight and I'll talk to her. Anything you want to pass on?"

"If you can wait a few minutes, I will have one of these journals that the doctor suggested we use to correspond and I want to put a note in it for her so she understands what's going on with it."

Ranger spent a few minutes with the journal. He wrote a note on the first page and then taped her note on the third page. He left a note on the second page and asked her to put the letter he wrote to her in it. Hopefully they can fill the journal by the time he's done with the doctor and someday will be able to go back and read how they grew their relationship. He closed the book and handed it over to Tank.

"Don't let any of the other guys read this please."

"Not a chance, I'll make sure that I'm the only one that delivers it between the two of you. What did you think of Dr. Benson?"

Ranger laughed and then filled Tank in on Steph's observations, including the roly-poly description. The talked for a few minutes and then Tank left. Said he would be back in a few hours to take Ranger to the gym. Ranger headed into the bedroom and changed into a pair of shorts and a tshirt. He sat on the bed and looked at a picture of him and Steph that was taken after one of the distraction jobs she does for RangeMan. He has his arms wrapped around her and is looking down at her. She has a smile on her face and he has a smirk on his face so he can only assume that she said something amusing. God, he loved her and hoped this therapy worked quickly because he didn't know how he would handle being apart from her for too long. Dr. Benson was hoping for a few weeks of daily sessions and then if all went well, they could start spacing out the visits, as long as he works hard to remember the job and what went wrong.

Hal knocked on the door an hour later and Ranger yelled for him to come in. Hal opened the door and said that he was to take Ranger down to the gym. Tank cleared the rest of the guys out and Stephanie had already gone home. Tank was leaving to check on her and give her the journal. Ranger spent about two hours in the gym, working on the equipment and then sparing with Hal on the mats. It felt good to be able to work out some of his frustrations. Hal walked him back up to his apartment and said good night. Ranger checked phone before he went into shower and found a couple texts. One was from Lester wondering who he needed to kill for sending those photos to his mom. One was from Tank and just said that Steph was all tucked in for the night and the journal was delivered.

The last text was from Steph. All it said was _"The journal is a great idea. I'm glad Dr. Benson came up with it. I'll leave it with Tank tomorrow. I hope you have a good night and good session tomorrow. I love you. ~ Your, Babe"_


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

The next couple of weeks went by quickly for both Ranger and Stephanie. Dr. Benson was happy with Ranger's progress; he was writing in his journal about the mission and his journal with Stephanie seemed to be going well for both of them. They wrote each other daily, with Ranger sending it down to her before she left each day and Stephanie sending it up to him each morning. The evening always ended with a good night text from Stephanie. Ranger wished he could text her back, but he always started his journal entry thanking her for the text. Ranger kept up with his work in the gym every evening after most of the guys left for the night. Dr. Benson had mentioned some changes he thought would be beneficial to the guys from his observations. After all, his cover story was that he was watching the guys.

By the end of the third week, Ranger was going stir crazy. He hadn't been out of the building yet and he needed to go somewhere. He complained to Tank every day and finally, Tank told him that he was working out getting him out for an afternoon. His session that day with Dr. Benson caused some angst for Ranger. He had progressed in his journal as far as he could, but it wasn't the end of the mission. He couldn't remember what happened during the last week he was gone. Something happened at this point and he was getting frustrated by his lack of memory.

Tank came in the apartment after Dr. Benson had left and told Ranger to get ready that he was busting him out of the building for the afternoon. They went straight to the garage without stopping on the 5th floor. They got into the car and Tank started driving. Ranger was lost in his thoughts and didn't realize where they were heading until they were almost there. "Tank, have you lost your mind? This is the last place I need to be right now. "

Tank chuckled as he pulled in the driveway and said, "Your mother has been calling me daily since you won't return her calls. She's worried about you and it's time you sucked it up and see her. I'll be back in two hours. Please don't try to go anywhere else. The house is being watched by some of the guys. I turned it into a training session for the newer guys, they don't know who lives here, just that you are visiting and if you try to run, they will take you down."

Ranger got out of the car and turned around to shoot another glare at Tank. Tank waited until the front door opened and Ranger's mother came out. She waved at Tank as he drove off and threw her arms around Ranger. "Carlos, I've missed you so much. Come inside, we need to talk."

Ranger swallowed the groan in his throat and followed his mother into the house. It was the house he grew up in and once he tried to give his parents a new house and they refused to accept it. He ended up turning it into a safe house for the company since he had already bought it. They loved this house, it's where all of their kids grew up and they never wanted anything else.

He followed her into the kitchen and sat down at the table. She got them something to drink and brought out a plate of cookies. He looked at her and said, "You know I don't eat sweets."

"Carlos, these are healthy cookies. Please try them and I'm sure you'll like them and if there are any left, you can take them back for the boys.

Your father and I have been worried about you. Obviously something happened during your last trip and even though you don't want to talk about it, I think that you need to so we can get this figured out. You are not yourself and haven't come to see us since you came back. You always come and visit us after you've been back and spent some time with Stephanie. She's such a nice girl, you need to marry her."

"Mom, you know I can't talk about my trips for the government. Something did happen but I don't remember what it was, but Bobby found me a doctor that's trying to help me remember. I've made some good progress in the past few weeks and hopefully we get it figured out soon. I was horrible to Stephanie, but we're working to get back to where we were at before my trip. I've told her I love her and want to marry her someday, and hopefully when this is all figured out, she'll still want to be with me. I'm so scared I'll lose her."

"Carlos, if she loves you like you say she does, then you won't lose her. Now, tell me what you and this doctor are doing to get your memory figured out."

Ranger and his mother talked and ate cookies until Tank returned in two hours. Tank knocked on the door and Mrs. Manoso ushered him into the kitchen. She went to the cabinet and pulled out the box of cookies and put more out on the plate. "Mom, you said these were healthy cookies. Do you know how many of these I've eaten in the past two hours? I'll have to work for hours at the gym tonight to burn off all of these empty calories." Tank laughed and shoved another cookie in his mouth.

"Carlos, you need to indulge every so often. You won't die from eating a few cookies."

"Ok, we need to head back to RangeMan now. I'll call you in a few days and let you know what's going on and how everything is going with Stephanie. Tell dad I said hello and I'll try to come back next week."

"Oh, Carlos, I'm so happy you want to come back. Your dad will be happy to know that you're getting help. Now, let me box up these cookies and you can take them with you."

Ranger and Tank left his parent's house and headed back to RangeMan. They were quiet most of the way back. Tank kept looking at the box of cookies that Ranger was holding and grinning at him. "Tank, thanks for making me go today. Talking to my mom helped."

As they pulled into the garage, they phones went off with the emergency code that they put together for Stephanie. _911 – Bomber - 911_


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

They got out of the car and looked at their phones and both swore at the same time and took off running up the stairs for the control room. They both burst out of the stairwell and were met by Lester.

"Bobby's with her down in the gym. Cal set off the alarm when he was with her in the gym. I've been waiting for you to get back so I don't know anything else."

Before they could stop him, Ranger was running down the stairs to the gym. Tank and Lester caught up with him just as Cal grabbed him before he could go into the gym. Ranger was struggling to get out of Cal's grip, but Cal was holding on tight. Tank came up behind Ranger and grabbed him around the waist and pulled him back. Lester went into the gym to find out what was going on and said he'd be back with an update. Cal let up his hold on Ranger once Tank had a firm grip on him. They both looked at Cal, who was covered in blood. It was all of his shirt and shorts, as well as his arms and hands.

"Cal, is that Bomber's blood?" Tank asked. Ranger kept staring at the blood and looked like him might faint. Tank tightened his hold on Ranger to help keep him upright.

"Yeah, we were both on the treadmills, talking and joking, when all of a sudden, Bomber went flying off backwards of hers and landed on the floor. I thought she would get right back up and laugh about it, but when I looked at her, there was blood pooling under her head. She must have hit her head really hard and cracked it open. I sent the Bomber 911 code and hit the button for Bobby to come. He was here within a minute. I had stabilized Bomber's head so she wouldn't move it around in case there was anything wrong with her neck. Bobby came running in and put a collar on her so I could let go. There was a lot of blood, but you know how your head bleeds, even if it's just a small cut. Could be anything, but…", Cal trailed off as his finished talking.

"What Cal? But, what?" Ranger barked out.

"Bomber was still knocked out when I left to wait for you to show up. She hadn't woken up yet."

"Let's not assume anything at this point. Lester should be out soon with an update so we can all calm down." Tank replied.

They all stood there, just waiting. Tank let up his hold on Ranger and he and Cal stood watching Ranger pacing the hallway. A few minutes later, Lester came out the door.

"Bobby called for an ambulance to get her to the hospital. He's got the bleeding under control but seems concerned that she hasn't woken up yet."

Before they could stop him, Ranger went running into the gym. He stopped short when he saw Stephanie lying in a pool of her own blood with Bobby holding a bandage over the worst spot. Tank came up behind him and laid a hand on Ranger's shoulder to steady him. Bobby looked up at them, caught Tank's eye and shook his head at the unasked question. She was still unconscious.

Ranger stared at her and started shaking and muttering. It took a minute for Tank to understanding what he was saying. "Not again, no, not again. Please someone help her, don't let her die again. Please, don't let her die again." He kept repeating this over and over with a panicked look on his face. Tank looked at Lester and said, "Go get the doc. Take him up to 7 and we'll be there in a few minutes. Tell him what's going on down here."

Hector came through the doors with the ambulance crew. They headed over to Stephanie and Bobby and started putting her on the gurney. Hector pressed a kiss to her cheek and muttered to her in Spanish. Lester and Bobby followed them out of the gym. Bobby was going to ride with her and Lester was going to follow them so he could keep the others updated. On his way to the garage, he sent Dr. Kelly a text that they would be rolling in to the ER in a few minutes. Even though she was a pediatrician, she would want to help Stephanie.

Throughout all of this, Ranger stayed standing where he was and kept muttering. After the room emptied, Tank grabbed his arm and helped him to the elevator and into his apartment. Dr. Benson was sitting at the kitchen table waiting for them. He motioned for Tank to set Ranger in another chair at the table and gave him a bottle of water. "Carlos, you are safe in your apartment. No one is going to hurt you here. Do you understand me? Tank is going to leave and will be back when he has an update on Stephanie. Are you okay with that?"

"Huh? What? Yeah, that's okay with me. Please hurry back Tank. I have to know what's going on with her."

"Sure Ranger, I'll be back as soon as I can."

Dr. Benson looked at Ranger and let him sit in silence for a few minutes. He pulled out Ranger's journal from his trip and said, "I think you left off at the spot where you couldn't remember anything else. Do want to try to write again or would you rather talk and I'll write for you?"

"Yeah, we can do that if that's okay with you. I am still a bit shaky and not sure how much I could write."

"Ok, start talking whenever you feel you can do it."

"We knew that we would get to the village at dusk and decided to wait until it was really dark to go get our guy back. They had been holding him for about a week and we were sure that he wasn't going to be in the best condition so we would have to grab and carry him out as quickly and quietly as we could. We watched the guard rotation for a few hours and had it figured out. There were four guards that watched the building; it was the only building being guarded. Not a good set up on their part, but very beneficial for us. We sent two of our guys to come around the building to get the guards in the back and to secure the back entrance to the building. Two of the other guys would take out the front guards and then the rest of us would breach the building and get our guy. Everything went as planned. The guards were taken out without a struggle or any noise. Both teams breached the building at the same time and were able to find the hostage. We were able to get the remaining two guards and the hostage pinned down in one of the rooms on the floor. Each guard had a gun pointed to the head of someone. There was our guy and then there was a woman. We didn't know who she was, but if they were holding her, then she must have been taken sometime after our guy was taken. Our Intel didn't mention a woman."

"Carlos, let's stop and take a break. I'll text Tank and see if he has an update."

Ranger got up and grabbed another bottle of water, draining it in one drink. He was pacing around the kitchen when Dr. Benson returned. "I talked to Tank and Bobby let him know that they are at the hospital and going to take her back for some tests to find out how serious her injury is. He'll call with any updates as soon as he gets them. Do you want to continue now or do you need a longer break?"

"Let's keep going. I need to get this figured out and then I need to go see Steph."

"Ok, when we stopped, you had the final two guards in a room with the guy you were there to rescue. You also discovered another hostage, a woman, who you didn't know." Dr. Benson recapped.

"The woman looked like she hadn't been with them for too long. Her clothes weren't as dirty as our guys were and she didn't appear to be physically hurt, at least that we could see. I started speaking to our guy and making sure he was okay. He laughed and said he was, at least as best he could be with a gun pointed at his head. The woman looked at us and nodded. She at least could understand English so that would be helpful if needed. The guards were getting irritated with my talking so I decided to start talking to them. I switched to Spanish and they understood. I told them that they were going to let the two hostages go with us or things would not end very well with them. I switched to English and told the hostages what we needed them to do. When I counted to three, the guy did as I asked, he pushed as hard as he could on the guard and then dropped to the floor. The woman decided she was going to be the hero and tried to grab the gun out of the guard's hand. I took out the guard quickly that was holding our guy, but the other guard managed to get a shot off before he finally was taken out. We grabbed the two hostages and ran for the area we had mapped out for a pick-up by the helicopter. The pick-up took about 5 minutes to get there and in that time we were able to find out that the woman had been shot in the neck. We pulled out all of our supplies and started to put pressure on the wound. Once we got into the helicopter, the medic on board took over. The woman briefly regained consciousness and grabbed my hand. It was then that I really took a look at her. She had brown curly hair that was out of control and bright blue eyes. She reminded me of Stephanie. It was then that it hit me, this woman didn't listen to what I told her to do and tried to fix the situation by herself. It was just like what Steph does. Steph doesn't like to be told what to do and would rather try things on her own. She's been lucky so far and hasn't been seriously hurt. She's gotten herself into some situations that we've had to rescue her from but never a serious injury.

I lost it at this point and started yelling at this woman. I told her it was her fault she got shot and if she would have been okay if she would have just listened to me. One of the other guys pulled me away and went back to her. She ended up dying in the copter before we landed. I truly regret that the last thing she heard from me was how she messed up. I sat there, covered in her blood and thought about how much she not only looked like Stephanie, but she acted like her too. It got to me and I think that's why I blew up at Stephanie that night. I had the situations messed up in my head and when I saw Steph in trouble, I reacted as I did to that woman in the helicopter."

Dr. Benson had stopped writing a long time ago and just sat there listening. He already knew what had happened, based on the reports from the rest of the team. "How are you feeling now?"

Before Ranger could answer, Tank came into the apartment. "Bomber's awake."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

"Doc, can I talk to you privately a minute?" Tank asked.

"Ranger, why don't you go into the living room and I'll be out in a minute."

They waited until Ranger left the room and then Tank started to talk to the doctor. Stephanie had woken up and was going to be okay, but there was a complication that the doctor thought would be only temporary, but they were still a bit concerned. Bobby had conferred with her doctors and it was decided that Ranger needed to come to the hospital, as long as Dr. Benson thought it would be okay. Dr. Benson agreed and they went into the living room to talk to Ranger. They found him sitting on the couch looking at a photo album. It had some pictures of his family, his army buddies and RangeMen friends. There were a few of him and Stephanie and that's what he was looking at when they found him. Most of them were ones Hector had printed off from surveillance cameras and given to him.

"Ranger, we're going to take you to the hospital to see Stephanie. Are you going to be okay doing this right now?"

"Of course, even if I can't get into see her, I need to be there."

They headed down to the garage and were joined by Hector. He rode with them to the hospital. Ranger didn't know that Tank had arranged it with Hector to join them for this trip. Hector would be able to get Ranger to calm down the best if she was still in the same condition when they got there as she was when Bobby had called.

They pulled into the parking lot and were met at the door by Lester. He led them to Steph's room and knocked on the door. Bobby came and opened the door and before he could say anything, Ranger pushed his way into the room. Bobby turned and went after him. "Ranger, there's something I need to talk to you about before you talk to Bomber."

Ranger ignored him and stepped up to her bedside. She had fallen asleep again, but seemed to be in better shape than when he last saw her a few hours ago. They had removed the neck brace and cleaned the blood off of her. There were two sets of stitches he could he on the side of her head near her ear. They had shaved a little bit of her hair and he knew she would be upset about it. Her right wrist had a splint on it; he hadn't noticed a problem with it before when she was on the gym floor.

Ranger dropped a kiss on her forehead and gently squeezed her hand. He turned around and saw Bobby waiting for him. "Ranger, let's go out in the hallway so we can talk about Steph."

"I don't want to leave her alone Bobby. What if she wakes up while no one is here?"

"Hector will sit with her until we come back in, okay?"

Hector was waiting outside the door and Bobby motioned him into the room and at the same time, led Ranger out into the hallway. Tank and Lester were sitting there waiting for him, along with Dr. Benson. Ranger hadn't even noticed that Dr. Benson had driven in with them from RangeMan.

"Ranger, have a seat. There are a few things you need to know about Stephanie before you go back in her room. She ended up having two cuts on the side of her head that got stitched. She shouldn't have any problems with them, except when she finds out they had to shave a section of her hair to put in the stitches. Her right wrist has a severe sprain. It's not broken, but she's not going to be using it for a while. Hector watched the video from the gym and saw what happened and saw how she landed and altered me to have them check her arm. She hit her head pretty hard and that's what caused her to be unconscious until just recently. She's being kept here until she passes all of the neurology tests and can be discharged into my care. We can talk about where she'll be staying, but it needs to be in the building so I can keep watch over her.

Now, there is something else I want to talk to you about and I need to know that you'll be able to handle the news and not cause a disturbance when you're in her room."

Before Bobby could continue, Hector opened the door and told Bobby that she was awake and asking for him. They turned to walk into her room and asked Ranger to stay in the hall until they came to get him.

Bobby and Hector walked over to her bed and each stood on a side and took her hands. She smiled at them and asked when she would be going home. They talked to her softly, as she still had a lot of pain in her head. "Steph, do you know what happened to you?" Bobby asked.

"I was in the gym with Cal and we were on the treadmills. I remember that we were laughing about something Lester had done and then I don't remember anything until I woke up here. What happened?"

Hector brushed her hair off her forehead and dropped a kiss on it and smiled at her. "You fell off the treadmill and knocked yourself out."

"Steph, you hit your head really hard when you fell and had a couple cuts that bled a lot. By the time I got to the gym, Cal had you stabilized and was holding your neck in case you had injured it. He didn't want you to cause further damage if you started moving around. I was able to get an ambulance called and put pressure bandages on your cuts to try to get the blood to stop. Your head bleeds a lot and once we got it stopped, you just need a few stitches in two places." He stopped talking as he saw Steph reach up and touch her head.

"Fuck, they shaved my head, didn't they?"

"Yes, they had to shave a little spot to get the stitches in without any problems. You will have them for about a week and then I'll be able to take them out. There are 10 total stitches, so it's not too bad."

"Not too bad? They shaved my head, without my permission."

"Hey, you were unconscious, be lucky they only had to take the bit that they did. It could have been worse; they could have shaved your whole head. Then you would have looked like Tank!"

"Ok, what else is wrong with me? I am starting to feel like I got hit by a truck."

"You have a severely sprained right wrist. You'll need to leave the splint on for a few weeks and then we'll start to rehab it once the swelling goes down. It's not broken, but you're still going to be out of commission for a few weeks."

"What else aren't you telling me? What else happened? You didn't call my mother, did you?"

"No, we didn't call your mother, although you probably should at some point, she's going to hear about this, you know. There is one other thing that happened when you woke up before. The doctors think it's temporary and shouldn't be a permanent problem. Do you remember when you woke up and we were talking to you?"

"No, I remember waking up for a few minutes, but then I don't remember anything else until a few minutes ago."

"Steph, when you woke up before and we were talking to you and explaining what happened, we started talking about Ranger. Do you remember what we said about him?"

Before Steph could answer, the door burst opened and Ranger came charging into the room with Tank trailing behind him. "I tried to keep him out, but he got away from me when I looked at my phone."

Ranger headed to the side of her bed and grabbed her hand. "Babe, you're awake. How are you feeling?"

Steph looked at him and then looked at Bobby. "Bobby, who is this?"


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Ranger dropped her hand and took a step backwards. "Bobby, what's going on?"

"Ranger, this is what we needed to talk about. Please go back into the hall and I'll be out in a minute."

Tank pushed him out of the room and shut the door. Bobby turned back to Steph. "Steph, that was Ranger. He is the boss of RangeMan and you have a relationship with him. Right now, there are some problems between you both, but you are both working on them. We will slowly bring him back into your life until you can remember him on your own. Dr. Benson will be working with you, as well as continue his work with Ranger. Do you have any questions?"

"Is he the only one I can't remember? What if I can't remember other people?"

"Bomber, we'll work it out, don't worry. Let's just get you well enough to come back to RangeMan. We'll move you into an empty apartment on the 4th floor and that way we can keep a watch on you while you recover. And, you can do some work when you feel better and even get you back in the gym."

"No way, Bobby. I'm not going back to the gym. I told you all that exercising was bad for me and it just about killed me today."

Bobby laughed. "Bomber, Hector watched the video from the gym. Your shoelace was untied and you tripped over it. You did it all by yourself, the treadmill didn't do anything to you. Nice try, but you will exercise again."

"Well, crap. It was worth a try. My shoe was untied? Really? Do all of the guys know that's the reason I fell? I don't want to hear a bunch of crap about it."

While Bobby and Steph bantered back and forth, Tank and Dr. Benson were talking to Ranger in the hallway. Dr. Benson was pretty sure that Stephanie not remembering Ranger was her mind's way of dealing with the problems they were having before her accident. He thought it would be a good idea for Ranger to go back to his apartment and write to her in the journal. Tank said he'd help Hector put together a photo album of Ranger and Steph and see if that would help bring her memory back.

Tank drove Ranger back to RangeMan and took him up to his apartment. Ranger went inside and grabbed the journal and headed for his office. He sat down at the desk and looked at a picture of him and Steph that he kept there. It was from a trip to the beach they took the last time Julie was up for a visit. She had taken this picture of them while they were standing hand in hand, looking out at the water. The picture was from the back so you couldn't see their faces, but you could tell by their body language that they loved each other.

He opened the journal, grabbed a pen and started writing. He decided to start at the beginning of their relationship, going back to the day Connie called him and asked him to mentor a new bounty hunter. He lost himself in writing down his memories. Some made him laugh and some made him tear up. About three hours later, Tank poked his head in and asked if he wanted anything to eat. Ranger looked up and couldn't believe how long he'd been writing. "Sure, I'm done for now with this, can you get to Steph tonight or in the morning?"

Tank headed to the kitchen with the journal and fixed some sandwiches for him and Ranger. He grabbed a couple beers and they sat in the living room watching a baseball game. Bobby stopped by a little bit later and gave them an update on Steph. If she had a quiet night, they would be able to discharge her in the morning and bring her back to the building. Some of the guys had gone to her apartment and packed up her stuff and brought it and Rex over and was getting everything set up in an empty apartment. Ranger grabbed the journal from Tank and asked if they would take him down to her new apartment so he could leave the journal for her with a note. They agreed and took him down. He wrote out a short note, clipped it to the front of the journal and set it on the bed they had put together for her. He went back up to his apartment, called Ella and asked her to get some flowers for Steph's apartment.

Bobby headed to the hospital in the morning and when he walked into her room, she was arguing with Hector about the video from the gym. Hector had stayed at the hospital during the night to keep an eye on her. Hector could understand and speak English, but right now he was acting like he couldn't understand her. It was frustrating her to no end, and it was all Bobby could do not to laugh at them. He had picked up her discharge papers before he went into the room. "Ready to bust out of here Bomber?"

"Oh thank god you're here. Hector here is being an _idiota_ and won't stop. Get me out of here." Hector and Bobby started laughing, which made Steph say, "I knew you could understand me."

They got her changed and checked out of the hospital and drove to RangeMan. They got her into the new apartment and she stopped in the kitchen and was glad to see they even brought Rex over for her. She smelled the flowers that were scattered around the rooms. Most of the arrangements didn't have a card, she assumed these were Ella's doing. One was from Bobby and Lester, one was from Cal, one was from Hector and one was from Ranger. The card from that one just said, "Babe". She didn't know what that meant. It must have been something from their past. She hoped her memories about Ranger would return.

She headed into the bedroom and found the journal and note from Ranger. She picked up the note first and it simply said, "Babe, I hope this helps you remember. We started writing back and forth a few weeks ago after by behavior kept us separated. I hope you remember and can forgive me. I do love you Babe. I want to spend my life with you. Love, Carlos"

She picked up the journal and headed back to the living room. "Bobby, who's Carlos?"

Bobby looked at her and with a smile, said, "Carlos is Ranger's given name. Carlos Ricardo Manoso, street name Ranger. He was a Ranger in the Army and the name has stuck with him. You called him Carlos when you wanted to drive him crazy. I'm heading down to my office. Call me if you need something for your headache before I bring up your next dose of pain meds."

Steph grabbed a bottle of water and made herself comfortable on the couch. She opened the journal and started reading.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Ranger had placed a note on the inside cover of the journal telling her that they'd been writing back and forth in it for the past few weeks. He suggested she skip these pages at first and start when he had the page marked. This is where he started from the beginning of their relationship. She smiled, took a drink of the water and skipped ahead to the marked page.

 _Babe,_

 _I don't really know what to write to you to help you remember me, so I decided to start at the beginning. How we met, what has happened to us and where I want us to go in the future._

 _I grew up in Newark and spent my early years there with my family. I have two sisters and two brothers and I'm the baby of the family. I caused my parents a lot of grief during my early teenage years and ended up getting caught trying to steal a car on a dare. They shipped me off to Miami to live with my grandmother and I finished high school in Miami. I managed to graduate and tried college for a year. I ended up dropping out and enlisting in the army. Lester, who is my cousin, did the same thing and we went through basic training together. We both decided to go into the Ranger program. It was hard training but we both managed to graduate. During our graduation celebration, I met a girl at a bar and ended up spending the night with her._

 _We shipped out the next day for an overseas mission and when we got back 18 months later, I found out I was the father of a baby girl. Julie was born while I was gone and Rachel, the girl from the bar, had no way to contact me. Hell, I don't even know if I told her my last name. She heard through a friend who was dating one of our fellow soldiers that we were back in town and she tracked me down. I offered to marry her and we did a few days later. I added her to my insurance and was able to spend the weekend with them before I got shipped out again. I left my contact information with Rachel and shipped out for another 6 months. When I got back, Rachel greeted me with divorce papers. She found a guy who would be there for her and Julie and wanted to marry her. I signed the papers, which included giving my parental rights away so the new guy could adopt Julie. He could provide a much more stable home for Julie. I never knew when I'd get called away for a mission and if I did, if I would ever make it back home. I wasn't required to pay child support, but I sent what I could every month for Julie. Rachel put it away in a savings account for her and once I started RangeMan and it became successful, I gave more and it helps pay for her private school. Rachel still puts part of it in the savings account, but we all wanted Julie to go to a private school because she is a very smart student and this school would help her more than the public schools ever could. I don't see her very often in person, but in the past few years, you were instrumental in helping me rebuild my relationship with her. We email and text and call on the phone every couple days and I thank you for your help with this and wonder what I would have done if you hadn't been there to help. I'm getting ahead of myself, so I'll back up to the day we met._

 _I had just come back from my last official mission from the Rangers and moved to Trenton. It was close enough to Newark and my parents, but not close enough that they would be too involved in my personal life. I'm a very private person, even with my family. You have helped me ease up on the privacy, but I'm very cautious as to who I open up with._

 _I was working for Vinnie picking up skips, trying to save enough to start RangeMan. I knew what I wanted to do and was just biding my time, waiting for the building to become available and for Lester and Tank to finish their contracts. I met Tank in the Rangers and together with Lester and Bobby, who we also met in the army; we decided to open a security company. We'd offer security systems for homes and businesses provide bodyguard services and pick up high bond skips. Connie had been feeding me the higher bonds from Vinnie and giving the lowers ones to the other bond agent. I think she had a crush on me, but I wasn't going to mess with her. I'd heard about her family and knew I did not want to get involved with that type of business. Once, she gave me the highest bond that Vinnie had ever written and it would give me almost $100,000 if I could bring the guy in, which of course I did. That money was the last bit we needed to put a deposit down on this building. I told her I owed her and one day, she called to cash in on it. She asked me to meet you and become your mentor as you were Vinnie's new bounty hunter._

 _I was waiting for you at the diner downtown; that I now know serves your favorite pie, and sat in the booth facing the door so I could see the door. I heard your car before I saw it pull up. It was a brown piece of shit and looked out the window to see you get out of the car and kick it. I gave a chuckle and waited for you to come into the diner. You opened the door, looked around and zeroed in on me. You looked beautiful Babe. I couldn't believe that Vinnie was going to let you try to catch skips. You sat down and sighed. Asked me if I could help you and then you told me that Morelli was the skip Vinnie needed brought in. I laughed at you and then asked why you wanted to be a bounty hunter. You pointed out the window at your car and then told me about getting laid off, losing your car and how you were about to get evicted. I decided to humor you and help you get started. I was sure you wouldn't catch Morelli, especially after you told me that you saw him the other day and talked to him, but didn't bring him in to the police station. I asked about a gun and you said you didn't like guns. I took you down to the gun shop and helped picked out your first gun._

 _You somehow saw you way through the case and eventually brought in Morelli. During this case, you brought down other criminals and managed to save a prostitute from a life on the street. You also stole Morelli's car and managed to shoot the bad guy with your new gun, while it was still in your purse. You are an amazing woman and I'm glad that I owed Connie that day._

 _I'm going to this story now, as it's time to drop this off in your new apartment. I hope that you will write back a short note to let me know how you are doing. I will be staying in my apartment to continue my therapy with Dr. Benson. Bobby said that the doc will be talking with you at some point and I hope it helps you. Also, please get back into the gym when you feel up to it. Don't let this accident discourage you._

 _I love you,_

 _Carlos_

Steph smiled when she closed the journal and went into the kitchen. She gave Rex some food and got herself a snack and took the journal into the bedroom. She wished she could remember Ranger's story of how they met, but nothing he wrote brought back any memories. It was a funny story and she's sure that's not the entire story. She wrote a short note to Ranger, thanking him for writing it and for letting her stay in this apartment. She sent Bobby a text and asked if he would take the journal back to Ranger and he replied that he'd do it in the morning when he stopped by the check on her. She found a black RangeMan shirt on the bed, and found all of her bathroom supplies sitting on the counter of the bathroom. She changed into the black shirt and headed to bed. Her final thought before falling asleep was that the shirt smelled very nice, like how a man should smell. She would have to find out who left the shirt and find out what kind of cologne she smelled.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

The next day, Bobby came by in the morning to check Stephanie's injuries and declared that she was doing better, but nowhere ready to go back to work. Bobby had discovered that Steph didn't remember anything about being a bounty hunter. She thought she worked full time at RangeMan doing research. He assumed she was blocking out this part of her memory because it involved Ranger. He would talk to Dr. Benson about this and see what they could do to jog her memory. He didn't know how long of this memory loss Ranger would be able to handle.

In the meantime, he brought her a laptop and suggested she spend some time on line looking into past stories of her bounty hunter days and see what she could find out about Ranger, which wasn't going to be much he knew. Hector does a good job of cleaning the world wide web of any information about Ranger. He knew the stories of her bounty hunting would keep her entertained for hours.

He took the journal upstairs and left it on the kitchen counter. Ranger wasn't in the apartment, but he saw on the monitors that he was in the gym. He left him a note and asked him to let him know if he needed the journal to go back to Steph later that day.

Ranger came back into the apartment and took a quick shower. He was glad they were letting him into the gym again during the day. Getting his workout in during the morning helped the day go faster. Dr. Benson was coming up in a few minutes for their daily session. Ranger was glad that he finally remembered what happened to him during his last trip.

The session went well. Dr. Benson is helping him come to terms with what happened with the woman on the mission and gave him some "homework" to do for their next session. He was write down the ways this woman was different from Stephanie. Ranger worked on that for a few minutes, but his attention drifted to the journal that was sitting on the counter. He picked it up and read Stephanie's short note and he decided to put down his thoughts to her.

 _Babe,_

 _I just finished my session with Dr. Benson for the day and he mentioned he was going to talk with you this afternoon. I hope talking with him helps you remember. Looking over what I wrote yesterday, I left out one of the most important parts of that story…At one point during your pursuit of Morelli, you "borrowed" his Jeep. He eventually found out and came over to your apartment to get it back. Luckily, you had removed the distributor cap so it wouldn't start when he tried to take it back. He broke into your apartment while you were in the shower and trashed everything looking for the cap. I'm not sure what all transpired, but he ended up handcuffing you to the shower rod and taking off with your clothes and towels. I was in a meeting with the guys when you called me. You asked if I could come over and help you. I was going to blow you off and send one of the guys, but then you mentioned naked and handcuffs and I must admit, I was intrigued. In the short time I'd know you, you were stirring up feelings that I hadn't had for such a long time, and I was sure I would never feel that way again._

 _After I got you un-cuffed from the shower rod and left you in the apartment, I drove back to RangeMan. The guys got a big laugh after I told them about your situation and it kept you in my thoughts for the rest of the day. It wasn't until much later that I realized you could have easily removed the shower curtain rod from the wall, as it wasn't screwed into the wall. I thought maybe you were looking for an excuse to see me again but then put the thought out of my mind when I heard later on that you and Morelli had a past._

 _After the shower incident, we really didn't have much contact for a bit. You solved your next big FTA case, with the help of your grandma. I don't know all of the details, but it involved Morelli's cousin, stolen caskets and you and grandma blowing up the funeral home, which landed your picture on the front page of the paper. You still get crap from people about it, even though it was grandma who caused the explosion. She does like her gun, why don't you?_

 _I'm going to end here for today Babe. I have to get my "homework" done and hope you write back to me with how your session goes with Dr. Benson. I hope he can help you remember me, us. You really are the best thing that's happened to me and I don't want you to leave me._

 _I love you,_

 _Carlos_


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Stephanie closed the journal and grabbed her laptop. She decided to follow Bobby's advice and googled herself. Overwhelmed by the sheer volume of results, she decided to read everything about the funeral home explosion first and by the time she was done, she was laughing at herself. She wasn't sure why she couldn't remember being a bounty hunter, but according to all of the stories, she sucked at it and provided "entertainment" for many in the community. There were a few pictures attached to the stories and she was able to identify most of the people in the background of each photo. One photo caught her eye and found herself staring at Ranger standing off to the side in the far back of the photo. His eyes seemed to be looking towards her, but she couldn't be for sure, he might have been looking at destruction of the building which was behind her. She decided to keep looking at the search results and then started printing off the stories and pictures by the date they were posted. She had to call down to Bobby for more printer paper just so she could get everything printed. What had she been doing with her life the past few years and why couldn't she remember it?

Dr. Benson stopped by for a visit and she told him what she had been doing that morning. He thought it was a good idea and encouraged her to keep reading the stories, as well as the journal. He asked her to reply to Ranger each time he wrote, even if it was a short note. He wanted to keep Ranger progressing and realized that Ranger wouldn't progress unless Stephanie showed some improvement and started to remember her past with him. The two of them were more intertwined then they realized.

After Dr. Benson left, she grabbed the journal and thought about what to write back to Ranger. She eventually sat still for so long that she fell asleep and had a wild dream. When she woke up, she seemed shaken and sent Bobby a text to come to the apartment as soon as he could. Bobby knocked on the door a few minutes later and walked in when Steph yelled that the door was open.

"What's up Bomber?"

"I fell asleep, had a wild dream and want to talk to you about it and see if it really happened or if it was just my imagination.", said Steph.

"I'll do my best, but if it involves you and Ranger, then most likely, I don't know much." replied Bobby.

Steph started talking and before long, Bobby realized that her memory was starting to return. He hoped this was the first step in getting Stephanie back to Ranger. "God knows, they both deserve some happiness in their life", he thought.

"Steph, have you written in the journal yet today?"

"No, I was going to but didn't know what to write and I guess I fell asleep."

"You need to write this down and share it with Ranger today."

"Are you telling me this really happened? I thought it was just a crazy dream, especially when there were two Ranger's in my dream. I guess I can write about it, but won't it upset him if what I told you is really true?"

"Steph, you're starting to remember. Whatever you remember will be good news to him just because you're remembering." Bobby got up, dropped a kiss on her forehead and left the apartment.

Steph went out into the kitchen and took the journal with her. She gave Rex some food and sat down at the counter and started to write.

 _Carlos,_

 _I had a crazy dream a little bit ago and after talking to Bobby about it, it's been suggested that I share it with you. Bobby said I'm starting to remember about us, I hope this is true. You intrigue me in a way I don't think has happened before. I feel a pull towards you and am unsure how to deal with it._

 _In my dream, I was tied to a chair in my apartment and there was a girl who was sleeping in the other chair in my living room. You were in the kitchen and were talking about how we were meant to be together and you were pacing around, like you were strung out on some kind of drugs. You kept saying how much he ruined everything and how much you wanted to be like him. I was so confused and the girl was still sleeping in the chair. She looked a bit like you so I wondered if she was a relative of yours. I could tell she was starting to wake up, but she kept her eyes shut and pretended she was asleep. You kept saying "I'm Ranger, not him."_

 _You looked at me and asked me if I cared who was going to come through the door because they were going to die. The door opened and you walked into the apartment. The kitchen version of you said that you'd shoot the girl if I made any sound. I sat there confused, how could you be in the kitchen and walking through the door at the same time?_

 _You looked at me when you walked in and had your hands raised. The other you shot you a few times and then moved over your body when you fell. He went to shoot you again and the girl jumped up and tackled him. She picked up the gun and shot him. I just sat there screaming over and over that you were shot. I had a hard time breathing and couldn't take my eyes off of you. You were lying on my floor, bleeding and when they took you out on the stretcher, the girl was holding onto you and yelled that you were her father. I looked back into my apartment and saw the other you lying on the floor, dead from the gunshot wound the girl had given to you. I was still so confused about seeing two of you. I kept asking about the two versions of you, but nobody would tell me anything._

 _All of a sudden, I was at the hospital in the waiting room with a room full of RangeMan men. They were all donating blood and I was told that you were in surgery. No one would answer my questions about you and the other you. The girl was there and was talking to Tank about her mother and father coming to get her. I was still so confused but everyone ignored me and eventually I just left and went home._

 _Then, I was in what I assume was your apartment. I had flowers and a cake for you. We were talking and when I asked about the other Ranger, you wouldn't tell me anything about him. You just told me that one Ranger was all I would ever need._

 _What the hell was this all about? After I told Bobby, he said some of it really happened and some of it was from the mixed up part of my brain. He said my brain is trying to work its way out of the jumbled mess that it was in since the great treadmill debacle. Will you tell me the truth?_

 _On another note, Dr. Benson has agreed that my searching the internet for information about my bounty hunting career is a step in the right direction and it would help me remember. I don't know why I don't remember any of the actual job, where as I remember the people that I have interaction with due to the job. He told me that most likely, my brain has shut down the actual job because I associate it with you and when I remember you, I'll remember the job. I hope that is true, I don't like feeling like I'm not apart of my life and am just looking at it from the outside._

 _Lester is bring up some pizza in a bit so I better sign off and go shower. Bobby said I can finally get my stitches wet and I'm starting to smell. Did you leave a t-shirt for me to sleep in? It seems wonderful and Bobby said it was your cologne._

 _Always,_

 _Stephanie_

 _p.s. – did you really tell the guys about finding me handcuffed naked to the shower rod? I don't know if I appreciate that, it makes me feel cheap._


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

 _Babe,_

 _I'm sorry if I made you feel cheap by telling the guys about rescuing you from the shower rod. I didn't think of it in those terms, just "locker room" talk with the guys. They were curious since I left them and went to rescue you that day. I'd never left them for a woman, and they were intrigued. Again, my sincerest apologies._

 _Your dream was a version of what really happened to us. One time when I was on a take down during my early bounty hunter days, I attracted a fan. This man decided he was going to turn into me and take over my life. He kidnapped Julie and brought her to Trenton. You were the first one to step up and help me, other than what the guys were doing at RangeMan. You put your life on the line and allowed yourself to be taken by this crazy man just so you could get to Julie. You saved her life Babe, and there's nothing I can do that would ever come close to repaying you for that courageous act. Julie and you are the best things that happened in my life and I don't want anything to happen to either one of you._

 _The incident at your apartment was the end of the conflict. When we figured out he took both of you to your apartment, we got a plan together and I decided I would go in to confront him. I knew there was a strong chance that I would get shot, I just hoped that I wouldn't be killed. But, if it would have saved you and Julie, it would have been okay. Julie ended up saving all of us by tackling him and getting ahold of the gun he had used on me. She ended up killing him. After she went back to Miami, we made sure she got the counseling help that she needed. She acted like it was no big deal, and even though we all know that it was, it was a proud dad moment for me. I knew that anyone could count on her to help them through any situation._

 _The vest I had on that day saved my life as well. I was shot a few times in the vest but one went under the top of the vest and I was shot in the neck. I had surgery and have fully recovered. Once I was back home, you came to visit and you did bring me flowers and birthday cake. In the end, you ate the cake, but we were able to spend some quiet time together for a few days while I recovered._

 _I wish you would have remembered a happier moment that we shared, but I'm glad that you are starting to remember. Before I left on the last mission, we were at a great place in our relationship. We had talked about you moving into my apartment and working full time for RangeMan. Your research skills are better than any private investigator I've ever met and your spidey-sense has saved the day numerous times. The guys used to groan when I'd have them work with you, because honestly, your early days of bounty hunting were a mess. Now, I have to beat them off with a stick when it's time to work with you. They all love you and would do anything for you._

 _You have not only changed me for the better and made me see the world in a different light, you have changed every single man in this building. You brought a brightness into our lives that hadn't been there in a long time and for some of the guys, it had never been there. You got an ex-gang member, who wouldn't speak a word of English to any of us, to take classes at the community college to learn English so he can talk with you without one of the guys interpreting for him._

 _While you are looking over the news stories about your career, I hope you remember that no matter how crazy things turned out for you in each case, you always got your skip. Have Lester show you the capture ratings for the state and you'll find yourself at the top with 100% captured. You are very good at your job, regardless of how many cars get blown up in the process. Let me know when you remember the Porsche and the garbage truck._

 _I have been remembering what happened during my last mission. I want to share this information with you, but I want to make sure Dr. Benson thinks it will be a good idea. I don't want to do anything that will make hamper our recoveries._

 _I'll let you get to sleep, so I will say good night. I love you so much Babe and hope we are able to be together soon._

 _Love,_

 _Carlos_

Steph closed the journal and looked at the clock. It was late for her to be up, considering how early Bobby stopped by this morning to check on her. For some reason, RangeMen liked the pre-dawn hours. She got up and checked the locks on the door, not that a lock would keep out any of the guys if they really need to get into her.

Once she was in bed, she couldn't turn her brain off for the night. Her body might be tired, but her mind was on warp speed. She kept thinking about the dream she had had and what Ranger had told her about it in the journal. She'd look up some more stories about her bounty hunter days and also see if there was any stories about her and Ranger together. Maybe she would have to get the guys to spill some of the stories. Oh well, the longer she thought about it, the more tired she became. Finally, she could feel her mind closing down and she rolled over and pulled the collar of the t-shirt up to her nose so she could smell the cologne again. She'd have to ask Bobby about it again.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

The journal entries continued for a few more weeks. Steph was dreaming bits and pieces of her memories of Ranger and her sessions with Dr. Benson were going well. Physically, she was almost back to normal. The guys made her start working out in the gym again, even on the deadly treadmill. It was a fight to get her on the machine, but they used good old fashion guilt to get it done. They almost always made a point to check her shoelaces before letting her do anything. That usually resulted in a slew of foul language from her and some hand gestures, but she got on the treadmill.

She started working again downstairs, running searches and doing investigative work for the company. She was in no way ready to run a distraction or chase down a skip, but getting back into a routine with work was good for her. Ranger was also slowly starting to come back to his office as he was improving with Dr. Benson, as well. He did not attempt to have any contact with her while they were both in the office at the same time, but she was never far from his thoughts.

When Bobby finally declared her all healed, the guys treated her to a night out for pizza and fun. She really wanted to go to the arcade and go bowling, but they thought it might be too dangerous for her. She pouted for a bit until Lester said they'd think of something else to do that wasn't so dangerous.

Once they finished eating, they decided to take her out for a bit of dancing. Steph loved to dance and usually had to beg the guys to go with her. They got to the club and Lester went and got the first round of drinks. Bobby led her out to the dance floor and by the time the song was over, Lester was back with the drinks. He got shots and beers for the guys and a fruity drink with a tiny umbrella in the glass for her.

"Lester, what's this?" "Something they had on special. I thought you would like it, it's got an umbrella! Plus, we all know you can't handle too much beer. This drink might be stronger than beer, but it since it's like a slush, it should take you a while to drink it."

She took a sniff and decided to take a drink. It was like an explosion of pineapples and coconuts in each sip. She told the guys it was good and continued to sip on it while the guys were checking out the club. Tank headed off to the other side of the room and soon he was on the dance floor with a beautiful woman. The guys told her that each time they came here, Tank hooked up with her. They didn't know her name, and he didn't volunteer any information about her.

She had a few more dances with Bobby and a couple with Lester before she let them off babysitting duty. They both seemed antsy to find someone to dance with, besides herself. By that time, she was on her 2nd drink and soon discovered it was empty. None of the guys were around, so she headed up to the bar and ordered another one. There was a crowd at the bar and she couldn't get the attention of the bartender. She felt a hand on her shoulder and found herself looking up at Cal.

"Hey Cal, what are you doing here? I didn't know you would be here tonight. Lester, Bobby and Tank brought me here to have fun, but they've managed to leave me while they are off searching for women. Want to join me in a drink?"

"Actually, I'm working right now. Searching for someone and we got a tip he might be here. Let me get you a refill and I'll walk you back to your table." He was able to get the bartender's attention and ordered her another drink. Once she got the drink, he walked her back to the table.

When they got to the table, they sat down and were talking about Cal's girlfriend when Lester and Bobby finished dancing and sat down with them. Tank was still off dancing, but was in sight if they needed him. Lester looked at Cal and said, "What's up?"

"Got a tip on one of the skips we've been looking for and decided to check it out. Don't see him anywhere, but found Steph at the bar and helped her get a refill."

"Beautiful, how many of those have you had? They're a lot stronger than beer, so pace yourself, please. I don't want Bobby yelling at me for getting you drunk."

"Les, don't worry about me, I'm a big girl. Cal, who are you looking for?"

"We're looking for James Brantley. We're running out of time to get him."

"Jamie Brantley from the Burg? Tall, skinny guy, blonde hair and blue eyes? About my age?"

"Yep, here's his picture." Cal showed her a picture on his phone and she said, "I know him. Let me take a lap around the room and see if I can find him."

"Steph, you haven't been cleared yet to do a distraction job." "I'll be fine, I'm just going to walk around and if I see him, I'll let you know."

She set her drink down and took off before any of them could say anything to her. Cal stood up and was able to see her walking around the room. She stopped and went back to a table in the far corner of the room. He could see someone stand up and hug her. "Shit, she found him." Before they could do anything, Steph was leading James Brantley back towards their table.

"Guys, this is an old friend of mine from high school, Jamie Brantley. Jamie, these are a few of the guys I work with, Lester, Bobby and Cal. Is it okay if Jamie has a drink with us?"

The guys looked at each other and then at Steph. She rolled her eyes and finally Lester said, "sure, join the party."

They sat and chit chatted for a few minutes until Jamie asked what she'd been doing and where she was working. She looked at the guys and smirked. "I work at RangeMan. They're a security company. I run background checks and help customers pick out security systems for their homes and businesses."

A few more minutes of chatting and then Steph asked if Jamie wanted to step outside for a few minutes. She stated that she hot and wanted to get some fresh air. She put her hand on his arm and steered him out the front door. Cal had been texting Hal and Hector the entire time and when she walked Jamie out the door, Hal was waiting for him and was able to handcuff him quickly. Steph turned towards him and looked shocked. "Jamie, what's going on?" "Just a misunderstanding, I'll call you when I get it cleared up." She turned and went back inside and was laughing when she got back to the table. She stopped short of the table when she saw Ranger sitting with the guys.

Lester looked at her when she returned and said, "Dr. Benson though it would be okay if Ranger joined us for a bit tonight. Is that okay with you? I assume Hal was outside like he was supposed to be?"

"Sure, that's fine. Yes, Hal was waiting for us and Jamie had no idea what I was doing. He said he'd call me once his 'misunderstanding' was cleaned up." She laughed and then said, "How are you doing Ranger?"

"I'm doing okay Babe. I see that you are enjoying yourself with the guys and having some drinks. Can't keep you from helping catch the bad guy, huh? Can I get you another drink Babe?"

She looked up at him and all of a sudden, she felt like her head was going to explode. The smell of the drink, the smile Ranger had on his face and the beat from the club music, caused a wave of memories of her and Ranger together to come crashing back all at once.

She looked back at him and said, "Hawaii."

Ranger had been ready to say something to Bobby, but he jerked his head towards her and stared. "What did you say?"

"Hawaii. We spent a week in Hawaii together and got married while we were there."


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Steph and Ranger stared at each other, neither saying a word. They both jumped when Lester dropped his glass on the table and it shattered. "You're married?" he asked.

Ranger looked at him and said, "Leave."

Lester and Bobby both scurried away from the table and headed towards Tank. They must have filled him in on what was said because his mouth dropped open and he stared at the table.

"Ranger, did we get married in Hawaii?

"Babe, it's a long story, but no we are not legally married. You've remember parts of what happened, but not the whole story. You went to Hawaii, alone. You had spotted one of our higher priced skips from Trenton at the Honolulu airport and called me. I flew over and we spent the week together. The skip met up with his wife and they stayed at a resort for married couples, so we had to act like we were married. What made you remember this now?"

"I don't know. It was just a beat of the loud music, the smell of the fruity drink and the flash from your smile. Everything just came rushing back into my head and all I could remember was a wedding ring on my finger."

"Babe, we spent a lot of time at the club in the resort and you enjoyed your drinks by the pool. It makes sense that these were memories you enjoyed so it's not a surprise that it came back to you. I'm surprised you remembered the wedding ring; you were scared to death to wear it and I had to put it back on your finger many times during the week. You were afraid you would lose it so you would take it off and put it in your pocket."

"What happened between us during this week? Did we catch the skip? "

Ranger looked down at the table for a moment, composing himself before looking back at Steph. "We didn't catch the skip. He slipped out of the hotel sometime towards the end of the week. We had a lot of fun together and after the first couple days, we didn't really try to find him. It was very nice to be away from all the pressures of work and the gossip of the Burg and it was great to finally see you relaxed. You had a great time and made me take you to all of the touristy places. You spent a lot of time by the pool and we spent time a fair amount of time walking on the beach."

"Ranger, what am not remembering?"

"I think the saying goes, 'all good things must come to an end'. We were almost to the end of the week and had spent a great night together at dinner and walking on the beach. I had ordered breakfast to be delivered and when the knock came at the door, you opened it and found Morelli at the door. He felt guilty about you being on your own, so he caught a flight to Hawaii to surprise you."

"Morelli, shit I knew it was too good of a story. I remember bits and pieces of him being at the hotel room. I remember a fight, driving to the hospital and flying home. What happened?"

"You answered the door wearing my dress shirt from the night before and I walked out of the bathroom wearing just my jeans, so it didn't take long for him to throw the first punch at me. We got into a fist fight and you ended up tazing both of us to end the fighting and drove us to the ER. You got us checked in and then you took off and caught a flight home."

Steph sat and stared at him. She looked down at her hand and ran her finger of the imaginary wedding ring. After a few minute of silence, she looked up at Ranger. She had a lone tear running down her face and she asked, "Were you hurt?"

Ranger reached over and wiped her tear away before speaking. "I broke a bone in my hand from punching his hard head, but other than that, just a black eye and a few scratches. Morelli had a broken nose and black eyes. We both left the hospital and shared a cab back to the hotel. Once we got there, I found your ring laying on the counter of the bathroom and I knew you were gone. Morelli yelled a bit and then we had a discussion, without our fists being involved, and we came to an agreement about you. Neither of us would push you into a relationship and we'd just see how things would evolve. He wasn't happy about it, but he finally admitted that maybe he wasn't what you wanted in a boyfriend. He still didn't like me, but he knew that I could protect you in ways he didn't have access to do. He saw the ring I was holding and the ring that was still on my finger and we had to have another discussion. When I bought that ring, it was supposed to be just a prop for the job. But once I spent time alone with you, away from here, I knew that I wanted it to be for real instead of for the job. I love you Babe and I want to someday put this ring back on your finger where it belongs." He reached into his pocket and pulled it out and laid it on the table. She let out a small gasp and just stared at it.

Steph looked up at him and said, "I want to go home now." Ranger started to get up but she said, "No, not you. Can you get one of the guys to drive me home?"

Ranger looked sad for a moment and then threw down his blank face as he sat back down. He motioned for Lester to come over to the table. "Drive Stephanie back to RangeMan." He threw a set of car keys at him, put the ring back in his pocket and then got up and walked across the room.

"Beautiful, are you alright?"

"Lester, I don't' know. I just don't know. Please take me home." She started walking out the door and before they got to Ranger's car, Bobby and Tank had caught up with them. Bobby handed Lester the keys to the SUV they all rode to the club in and in return handed Ranger's keys to Tank. "Get Ranger home. Don't let him drink." Tank took off back into the club to find Ranger.

Bobby helped Steph into the backseat of the SUV and Lester got into the driver's seat and they took off for RangeMan.

Bobby pulled Steph into his arms and she was shaking and it didn't take long before she started to cry. Lester caught his eye in the rear view mirror, but Bobby just shook his head. "Let it all out Baby, just let it out. I'm here for you." He kept rubbing her back and repeating this to her the entire drive home. When they pulled into the garage, she didn't want to get out the SUV. "I don't want the guys on the monitors to see me crying." "We can shut off the cameras."

Bobby aimed his key fob at the cameras and they turned off. The camera moved slightly as if it were nodding and then Bobby pulled her out of the SUV. "They're turned off, let's get you upstairs." They walked her to the elevator and got her into her apartment. Bobby put her on the couch and Lester brought her a bottle of water.

"What happened Beautiful? Are you and Ranger really married?"

"No, it was for a job. I went to Hawaii on vacation, saw a skip at the airport and called Ranger. He came over and we had to pretend to be married to stay at the same resort as the skip."

"Well, that doesn't sound so bad. A trip to Hawaii and catching a skip.", said Bobby.

"We didn't catch the skip. We ended up having too much fun and forgot about the skip. Apparently it was going really great until Morelli showed up."

Both of the guys groaned and Lester sat shaking his head. "Hey, was that the trip that Ranger came back with a black eye and a broken hand? He didn't say where he was or what happened, but we were just told to not ask about it."

"They got into a fight and I had to taze them to get it stopped. I dropped them at the hospital and then flew home. Ranger said they had a 'discussion' and both agreed to not push me into dating either one of them. Morelli apparently freaked out when he saw the wedding ring I left behind and the one Ranger was still wearing. They had another 'discussion' and Ranger then told me that he wants to someday put that ring back on my finger where it belongs. I totally panicked and had to leave and then you brought me back here. And here we are."

"Steph, that's quite a story. How much of it did you remember yourself?"

"At first, just the smell of the drink and the music from the club reminded me of being in Hawaii with Ranger and then I had flashes of a wedding ring, and being with him. He filled me in with some of the smaller details but as he talked about it, I was remembering things. I don't remember the fighting, but I remember flying home."

Bobby and Lester looked at each other and then at Steph. Bobby asked, "Steph, the big question is, is that what you want? Do you want to have that ring on your finger again?"


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

"Yes…" Lester raised an eyebrow at her.

"No..." Bobby started to smirk.

"I don't know…" They both chuckled at her.

"Shit, why can't I ever make up my mind? I'm so tired of being unsure about things in my life."

"Beautiful, this is how you always have been since we've met you. Constantly flip-flopping, going back and forth between Ranger and Morelli, working here or working for Vinnie, love your mother and hate your mother, engaged to Morelli or not engaged to Morelli. Steph, we could talk for hours about your indecisive mind."

"Shit, I wish I could remember how things were between me and Ranger before he went on that last mission. I feel like we were good together, you know? Like we fit with each other. But now, I don't know what I'm feeling. What do you guys remember about me and Ranger together?"

Lester started laughing and then Bobby said, "Steph, that's not for us to tell. You and Ranger need to work this out between the two of you. Let's just say, it's been a long journey."

Lester stood up and said, "Beautiful, it's time for us to go. We have to get up for an early shift in the morning. You can talk to us about almost everything, except for your relationship with Ranger. Besides, I need to call Dr. Kelly about a date for tomorrow night."

"Ok, I get it, I need to remember and work it out with Ranger. Thanks for giving me a ride home and staying with me for a bit. I think I'll take a bath, relax and try to remember. See you both in the morning." She walked them to the door and they each dropped a kiss on one of her cheeks.

She locked the door after they left and headed into the bathroom. She grabbed her phone on the way and started the bath. She added a shot of the shower gel she had found in the closet, hidden away. It smelled like Ranger and she hoped it would give her memory a boost. She undressed and slid into the tub. She grabbed a towel off the rack and rolled it up and used it for a pillow. It didn't take long before her eyes started to close.

An hour later, a ringing phone startled her awake. Steph jumped up and forgot she was in the bathtub full of water. She slipped and fell back into the tub. She banged her elbow on the side of the tub but thankfully didn't hit her head. She stood back up and got out of the tub, wrapped a towel around her and headed out to the living room. Her phone started to ring again and at the same time, there was a knock on her door. She pulled the towel tighter and while answering her phone, pulled open her door. She stood there staring at Ranger in her doorway, with Tank standing a few steps behind him, and was at a loss for words for the phone call. She had the phone up to her ear and could hear Bobby yelling her name. "Huh? Bobby stop yelling. I'm fine. I fell asleep and didn't hear the phone the first time. Go to bed, I'll see you in the morning."

She disconnected the call and stood there staring at Ranger. "Babe, as much as I like the view, shouldn't you go and put some clothes on?"

She looked down and saw she was still just in a towel and turned and ran to the bedroom and shut the door. She leaned against the back of the closed door and sighed. She was not sure how she felt about Ranger being in her apartment right now. She didn't know what to do. She still had her phone in her hand and typed out a text to Lester. She hesitated in hitting the send button and then deleted it. She had a panic button on her watch so she knew she could get help quickly if needed. She put on some clothes and put her phone in her pocket. She walked out to the living room and found Ranger sitting on the couch. Tank was standing by the front door, with a blank look on his face, until he saw her come back in the room. He gave her a smile and wink and then went back to the blank look.

"Ranger, what are you doing here?"

"Babe, I thought we should continue what we talked about tonight about what you remembered."

"I see you brought Tank with you, but does Dr. Benson know you're down here?"

"I called him and let him know about your memory and he's going to stop by tomorrow morning to see you. I wanted to know if you had any questions about what happened in Hawaii or anything about when we got back."

"Ranger, I'd rather talk to Dr. Benson and see what he says before we talk any further. I am tired and want to go to bed so would you please leave me for the night?"

"Babe, please believe I will never hurt you again. I can't apologize enough for what I did and said to you that night. I love you so much and hope we can be together when we are both healed."

With that, Ranger stood up and walked out of the apartment. Tank stood in the open doorway and looked back at her. "He just wanted to make sure you were okay Steph. He cares a lot about you and asked me to come with him to make you feel more comfortable with him. See you in the morning little girl."

Steph stood staring at the closed door for a few minutes and then went over and locked up again and headed to bed. Sleep didn't come easy for her but she was glad Dr. Benson would be over in the morning.

Morning came too early for Steph. A knock on the door woke her up and she found Dr. Benson standing there with a bakery box and coffee. She let him in and they sat down in the living room. He handed her the coffee and set the box on the table. "Carlos told me how you like your coffee and suggested I bring it this morning, along with the donuts." She made a few grunting sounds while she drank the coffee and a quickly ate a donut. "Apparently, he was correct. Sugar and caffeine are the way to your heart!"

She looked up at him and smiled. "Didn't sleep very well last night."

"How about we talk about last night and then we can figure out where to go from here."

In between bites of donuts and gulps on coffee, Steph got the story out about the club, the drinks, the music, and then finally the memory of Hawaii. She told him what she and Ranger all discussed and then how the conversation ended. She looked up at him when she was done talking.

"Well, Stephanie, what do you want? Do you want to get back into a relationship with Carlos?"

"I don't know. I just wish I could remember everything."

"What would your thoughts be on sharing a session with Carlos? He's made excellent progress on his own and we have worked through his last mission to the point where he's ready to share the story with you and explain his actions. "

"I don't know. Do you think it's okay to do? I don't want to do anything to harm his recovery"

"Steph, I wouldn't suggest it if I didn't think you were both ready for it. Would it be okay to do this afternoon?"

"I guess, as long as you think it's okay."

"OK, let's end for this morning and I will be back after lunch with Carlos." With that, Dr. Benson got up and left her apartment. Steph stayed sitting there for a bit and finished off the box of donuts before getting up. She sent a text to Lester and then went to take a shower.

Lester was on her couch when she got out of the shower and when she walked in the room, he pulled her onto his lap. "Beautiful, you okay?"

She looked up at him and said, "I don't know. Dr. Benson is meeting with me and Ranger after lunch for a shared session. Do you think I should be doing this?" Her eyes filled up with tears and her lip started to tremble.

"Hey, if you weren't ready, the doc wouldn't suggest it. You're going to be fine, I promise. How about I stay out in the hallway and you can yell for me anytime you want me to come in and be with you."

"Okay, if you think that I'm ready."

"Stephanie Michelle Plum, do **not** doubt yourself. This is the way you used to be and you need to stop. You are a very strong and powerful woman and you need to act like it."

Steph looked at Lester and was surprised that he called her by her full name and that he thought of her in that manner. She gave him a small smile and said, "I guess I need work on my self-esteem."

"That you do, you sure do Beautiful."

Lester stayed for a little bit longer and then headed down to his office. Steph made a sandwich for lunch and was just cleaning up when someone knocked on her door. She walked over to it and opened it to find Dr. Benson and Ranger standing in the doorway. She could see Lester and Tank hovering in the hallway behind them. She motioned them into the apartment, gave a small smile to Tank and Lester and then closed the door. Part of her knew that as soon as the door shut, Lester would have his ear up to it and it made her give a small chuckle. She walked over to the living room and sat down in a chair across from the couch, where Ranger was sitting. She could tell he was a bit disappointed that she did not sit next to him on the couch, but she wasn't ready for that at this time.

Dr. Benson motioned for Ranger to start and he turned to her and said, "Babe…"


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Ranger hesitated before he started speaking. "Babe, I remembered what happened during the mission and I want to explain it to you. Please know that I can't give you all of the details as to what the mission was about or where I was, but I will tell you what I can."

Steph looked at him and with a small smile on her face, encouraged him to continue.

Ranger talked for over an hour and by the time he got to the details of the helicopter ride, he paused, hesitating to tell the next part. He looked at Dr. Benson, who nodded to continue and then he started talking again. He talked about what ultimately happened to the woman they had found with the hostage, Steph had tears running down her face and was choking back a sob. Ranger held her gaze the entire time he spoke and at this point, he also was crying, but he plowed on and continued the story.

When he ended the story, he sat back into the couch and looked at her. "She reminded me so much of you, similar looks and same defiant attitude." He gave her a small smile and before he could react, Steph had thrown herself on top of him and was sobbing.

He glanced up at Dr. Benson, who gave him a small nod and smile. Ranger wrapped his arms around her and just held onto her. They were both crying and just held onto each other. Neither spoke, but they both felt like a giant burden had been lifted from them.

Ranger allowed himself to let go of Stephanie and set her down on the couch next to him. "Steph, are you okay?" He didn't want to let go of her, but needed to be able to see her face to see how she was really doing.

"I still don't remember much about my bounty hunting days, but I feel better knowing that you remembered everything and we can start to work on us now. I do feel like I love you Carlos, and I now understand what happened to you on your job. I want to remember everything and hopefully this will happen soon because it's frustrating."

"Babe, I love you too and hope we can get back to what we had before all of this happened. I want you to be happy and feel good about yourself."

Stephanie laughed, "Lester told me I needed to work on my self-esteem and now you drop a mention of it in this conversation. Was I really that bad?"

"Babe, you were a true Gryffindor and you needed to learn to be a bit more Slytherin."

Steph started laughing and couldn't stop. Dr. Benson was also laughing. Ranger had a smirk on his face and looked at her.

"Carlos, you know about Harry Potter houses? I'm shocked."

"Hey, I know more than you think I do. Remember, I have a teenage daughter? We spent some time this past year reading the books and watching the movies. I think I'd make a quite dashing Draco Malfoy."

Steph sat looking at him, still chuckling at his Harry Potter references, and smiled at him. "I think we should start over, get to know each other again and see how it goes. Dr. Benson, does this sound okay?"

"Yes, I think it would be good to try it this way. Stephanie, you're ready to head back to work at your desk and I think I'm about ready to release you back to work full time. Give it a try and we'll get together again in a few days and see how it's going. I suggest you start very slowly, give working together a try, and maybe spend a lunch hour together, see how it progresses. Nothing too fast though."

Dr. Benson got up to leave and when he opened the door, Lester and Tank fell into the apartment, tumbling on top of each other. Ranger pulled his phone out and snapped a picture while Stephanie laughed so hard she fell off the couch. Dr. Benson stepped over them and headed down the stairs.

Lester and Tanks scrambled up and looked at Ranger and Stephanie. She had pulled herself up onto the couch again and Ranger was sitting next to her, with his arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him and they were both smiling.

"If you two stooges are done eavesdropping, get back to work. Things are good in here."

Lester came over and pulled Stephanie up into a hug. "Told you it would be okay Beautiful."

They headed out and shut the door as they left. Ranger looked at Stephanie and said, "Can you come downstairs to the offices tomorrow and work for a bit? I'm going to be in my office all day and maybe we could have lunch together."

Steph smiled and agreed to spend part of the day in her office. Ranger dropped a kiss on the top of her head and headed out to his own apartment. Steph sat smiling for a bit and then headed to her laptop and decided to keep researching her bounty hunting days. Something would have to trigger her memory, her future with Ranger depended on it.


End file.
